Damian Lillard Refutes Claim Blazers Gave Enes Kanter 6 Minutes To Sign

BYAlexander Cole3.2K Views
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Damian Lillard
Kanter said he was rushed to make a decision.

Enes Kanter was one of the many players looking for a new contract this week and yesterday, it was revealed that he had signed with the Boston Celtics on a two-year contract worth $10 million. Kanter is one of the more offensive-minded centers in the league, although he tends to get exposed when it comes to his defensive play. While Kanter's signing in Boston should have been a story on its own, the narrative quickly changed thanks to a text the Turkish player sent to Marc J Spears of ESPN.

In the text, Kanter revealed that the Portland Trail Blazers wanted him to re-sign although they were only willing to give him six minutes to do so. Signing an NBA contract can be a life-altering decision and six minutes isn't close to enough time to make the right choice. As Kanter notes, this is why he ultimately walked away.

Kanter's former teammate Damian Lillard challenged this narrative on Twitter though, as he said that Kanter was actually given 45 minutes to make his choice. Obviously, 45 minutes is significantly more than six although it's still not that long when you think about exactly what's at stake. 

Lillard seemed to defend his team, even more, when he noted that "nobody wanna be left empty-handed." Considering Lillard was actually there, it's hard to deny his knowledge on the matter.

About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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