Lillard on All-Star snub: 'I'm definitely going to take it personal'

Before All-Star reserves were announced on Thursday, Damian Lillard said he would be "pissed off" if he didn't make the Western Conference team. After finding out he was left out, the Portland Trail Blazers' point guard admitted to feeling something else.

"I just felt disrespected," Lillard said Friday, as reported by Comcast Sportsnet's Jabari Young." As for why he feels so slighted by the All-Star snub, Lillard expanded.

"I play the game the right way. I play unselfishly. I play for my team to win games and I produce at a high level," the 2014 All-NBA guard said.

"I think what I bring to the game as a person, my makeup mentally, how I am towards my teammates, how I am towards the media, how I am towards fans, I think what an All-Star represents in this league and what you would want people to look at as an All-Star, I think I makeup all those things," Lillard added.

Lillard has every right to feel hard done by.

As good as LaMarcus Aldridge has been, Lillard has been the 32-14 Blazers' best player, and he's performed at a top-10 level in his third season. The 24-year-old is averaging 21.8 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

Still, it wasn't enough for him to earn a starting nod from the fans or a repeat performance as a coaches' selection.

Later on Friday, Lillard lost yet another opportunity to take part in the All-Star festivities, as commissioner Adam Silver selected DeMarcus Cousins as Kobe Bryant's injury replacement.

Lillard took to Instagram to respond to his third All-Star strike, writing, "I just want to thank the coaches who feel I wasn't good enough, the fans that didn't think I was good enough, and Adam Silver also for not thinking I was good enough."

The post, which featured the phrase "Be so good that they can't ignore you" in big red letters, has since been deleted. It also included the following from Lillard:

This isn't unfamiliar territory for me, it's actually what my life has been inspired by. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed or that I don't feel disrespected but it's not too much to handle. Not the first or last guy to be snubbed. "You should have been there" isn't good enough for me. But anyway, The reason I'm in these shoes is because I've always use the hand I was dealt to my advantage... A wise man once told me... "it ain't always gone be peaches and cream but somebody has to pay for the reason it's not ... One way or another" ... #ImThankful #Real #NonAllStar #RipCity #YellowTape

Lillard late re-posted the photo on Instagram, with the following caption:

I just want to thank everyone that felt I wasn't good enough. This isn't unfamiliar territory for me. It actually is what my life has been inspired by. I'd be lying if if I said I wasn't disappointed or that I don't feel disrespected, but it's not too much to handle. Not the first or last guy to be snubbed, but "you should have been there" is not good enough for me. But anyway, the reason I'm in these shoes is because I've always used the hand I was dealt to my advantage. A wise man once told me "it ain't always gone be peaches and cream, but somebody has to pay for the reason it's not...one way or another."#ImThankful #Real #NonAllStar #RipCity#YellowTape

Before Silver's decision came down, Lillard had already provided a hint that he'll be out to prove doubters wrong. "I'm definitely going to take it personal," Lillard said. "I said I'd be pissed off about it, and I am."