Lillard explains why he responded to Bagley's rap battle challenge

In June, Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III challenged Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard to a rap battle that resulted in multiple diss tracks being exchanged between the two.

Lillard, whose rap alter ego is "Dame D.O.L.L.A.," explained in an interview with Adam Caparell of Complex that he doesn't typically respond to such challenges but decided to make an exception.

"I always told myself, even if one of these dudes says my name and some stuff like that, I'm not about to get into it with them," Lillard said. "I literally decided that this is the one time that I'm going to do it."

Lillard said he was staying at an Airbnb with a music studio when Bagley issued the challenge and told his engineer to release his diss track "MARVINNNNNN!!!???" The internet seemed to be in consensus that Lillard won the battle.

"I'm not in competition with no player that's rapping in the NBA," Lillard said. "I'm literally as an artist trying to move myself into what the actual artists are doing, but he was starting coming off like he was competing with me, like, 'I'm the best rapper in the NBA.'"

Lillard recently released his third album, "Big D.O.L.L.A.," while Bagley is expected to release his debut studio album soon.