"Don't look at this as closure": Damian Lillard doesn't rule out Trail Blazers reunion citing relationship with franchise and fanbase
Damian Lillard has now played 44 games with the Milwaukee Bucks as of the time of this publishing. It still feels unreal for some fans that Lillard is no longer suiting up for the Portland Trail Blazers, considering how loyal he has been to his former team in his career. Throughout the 2023-24 NBA season, it's been a while since fans last saw Lillard play in Moda Center. But now that will all change as the Bucks are set to face the Trail Blazers in Portland on Wednesday.
It'll be the first time since his days suiting up for the Trail Blazers that fans get to see Damian Lillard play in Portland. Despite suiting up for the opposing team, Lillard made it clear that his love for his former team and the fanbase will never change. Sporting the colors green and white doesn't mean that Dame has moved on from his roots:
“My relationship to the fans here and the city and the organization, it’s never-ending," Lillard said. "I don’t look at this as closure.”
How has Damian Lillard performed so far in the NBA outside of Portland?
Throughout his first 11 seasons in the league, Damian Lillard was the main attraction for the Portland Trail Blazers. He worked his way up to become one of the all-time greats and be named part of the NBA 75 during his tenure in Portland. However, that chapter of his career has come to a close and he is now suiting up for the Milwaukee Bucks.
One of the major concerns fans had was Lillard being overshadowed by Giannis Antetokounmpo. For the first time in his career, "Dame" is playing alongside another All-Star in his team which means that he is no longer the number one option. While chemistry became a persistent issue at first, Antetokounmpo and Lillard eventually found their rhythm as a duo as the days went by.
Looking at Lillard's stats, it doesn't seem like playing alongside another superstar is a problem as he is averaging 25.1 points, 6.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. Dame's current numbers are similar to his previous stats when he was still playing for the Trail Blazers. Meaning to say, Lillard is doing fine under his new circumstances and could potentially benefit from his newfound partnership.
The Bucks are ranked second in the Eastern Conference with a 32-15 record. Given their current situation, it's highly possible for Milwaukee to make a deep playoff run this year and could potentially go all the way to the NBA Finals. Having that in mind, Damian Lillard could finally win his first title in his career and further solidify his status as one of the league's all-time greats.