Damian Lillard couldn’t be happier to rejoin the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard offered up enthusiastic remarks about coming back to the team, saying he was glad “to be back home.”
Lillard made those comments during an introductory press conference Monday. Lillard was reintroduced as a member of the Trail Blazers after signing a three-year, $42 million deal with the team after he was surprisingly waived by the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason.
Lillard, who was drafted by the Trail Blazers with the No. 6 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, seemed elated to be returning to the franchise, per the Associated Press.
“Just knowing that I’m going to be back home for all parts of my life, with my kids, playing for the Trail Blazers, driving on the same streets that I’ve driven on pretty much my entire adulthood, my whole family being here, my mom, my brother, my sisters, all my friends around the city of Portland,” he said. “All of those things count. I wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon.”
He let those feelings show immediately, getting emotional while walking back into the Trail Blazers locker room for the first time. While Lillard didn’t cry, he said he was emotional, adding “I feel so happy on the inside.”
While Lillard, 35, is back with the team, his second debut with the franchise will have to wait. Lillard tore his Achilles in the playoffs, and is unlikely to play the entire 2025-26 NBA season. Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups joked that Lillard will be “the highest-paid assistant coach in league history” next season. Lillard didn’t provide an exact timeline for his return, but said he would take his time to make sure he’s fully healed when he gets back on the court.
When healthy, Lillard produced like one of the top scorers in the NBA. Last season, he averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists over 58 games. His season was initially cut short after doctors discovered a blood clot in his right calf. Despite plenty of uncertainty, Lillard recovered in time to play in the postseason. His return lasted just three games before he tore his left Achilles.
Due to Lillard’s age and injury, there’s plenty of uncertainty about his return to Portland. While his NBA future remains cloudy, that won’t stop the fans from giving Lillard a deafening cheer the first time to takes the court in his return.
