Lillard 'willing to not win' championship if he can't build one with Blazers

Damian Lillard is extremely loyal to the Portland Trail Blazers, perhaps to a fault.

The ultimate goal for any NBA talent is to capture a championship. Some players venture off to other cities and franchises on their quest for that elusive ring, while others stay put in an attempt to build a contender where their playing careers began.

Lillard would prefer the latter, or he at least implied as such during an impromptu Twitter Q-and-A session Thursday.

The 26-year-old point guard was told by one of his followers that he'll have to leave Rip City if he has any true aspirations to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy. In response, Lillard said he'd be willing to go his career without a championship if he can't win one with the Trail Blazers.

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Lillard is set to remain in Portland through at least the 2020-21 campaign after his five-year, $120-million extension kicked in at the start of this season.

The Trail Blazers have qualified for the playoffs every year since 2014 with Lillard leading the way, although they have yet to advance past the Western Conference semifinals. This includes a recent opening-round four-game sweep at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, culminating in a 25-point loss at Moda Center.