avatarS.E. Fairbanks

Summary

Damian Lillard's iconic career with the Portland Trail Blazers has come to an end with his recent trade to the Milwaukee Bucks, marking the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter in his pursuit of an NBA championship.

Abstract

Damian Lillard has been a central figure in Portland Trail Blazers' history, particularly known for his series-clinching three-pointer in the 2014 playoffs against the Houston Rockets. Over the subsequent eight years, Lillard became a beloved figure in Portland for his loyalty, leadership, and clutch performances. Despite his dedication, the Trail Blazers were unable to build a championship-contending team around him. As the 2023 training camp approached, Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he joins Giannis Antetokounmpo in a promising bid for an NBA title. While fans in Portland look forward to a new era of Trail Blazer basketball, they also hope for Lillard's success with the Bucks.

Opinions

  • The author and their son have a deep admiration for Damian Lillard, shifting their allegiance from Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors to Lillard and the Trail Blazers after his memorable shot in 2014.
  • Lillard is praised for his dedication to the Trail Blazers, his mentorship of younger players, and his involvement in the community.
  • There is a sense of disappointment that the Trail Blazers organization could not assemble a championship-caliber team during Lillard's tenure.
  • The author expresses mixed feelings about Lillard's trade to the Bucks, recognizing it as a bittersweet moment that offers Lillard a chance at a championship but ends an era in Portland.
  • The author is optimistic about the upcoming season, looking forward to watching both the young Trail Blazers team and Lillard's journey with the Bucks.

Remembering 0.9

The Damien Lillard Era is over in Portland

Photo by Clayton Caldwell on Unsplash

On May 2, 2014, during Game 6 of the Western Conference first-round series between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets, Damian Lillard hit a buzzer-beating, series-clinching three-pointer to give the Trail Blazers a 99–98 victory. This iconic shot instantly became one of the most memorable moments in NBA playoff history, and Damian Lillard earned a reputation as a clutch performer in critical moments.

Down 2.

0.9 seconds to go.

What were the chances?

Well, that depends. Are you considering the probabilities based on universal norms of basketball? Or are you referring to the probabilities based on the opportunity to give Lillard the ball with time enough to get up a shot?

The two are not the same.

And the rest is history.

I think that might be the moment my son traded in his fondness for Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors for an allegiance to the Portland Trail Blazers…and a love for Damien Lillard.

In the ensuing eight years, we have watched many a game together, have seen other miraculous shots (including the “bad shot” he took against Paul George and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 playoffs), and games where “Dame Time” was in full effect.

We watch Lillard demonstrate loyalty and dedication to his team and a love for the city of Portland and its fans. We watched his leadership as he took players under his wing and invested time and energy into others. We watched scoring prowess and clutch performances. Lillard’s community involvement and charitable activities were to be admired.

Ultimately, however, Dame was never given a team that could legitimately compete for a championship. This is the one thing he never got, the one thing the fans never got to see.

And so, days before the opening of training camp 2023, Damien Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. Teaming up with Giannis Antetokounmpo and friends, he will have a chance to compete for a championship — a capstone for a brilliant career.

I genuinely wish the opportunity had come for him as a Trail Blazer.

I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.

I will enjoy watching a young and exciting Trail Blazer team this year, but I’ll also have my eyes on the Bucks. If my team can’t win it all this year, I hope Lillard will.

And I’ll be watching with my son, now 18, as we welcome a new era of Trail Blazer basketball.

Society
Damian Lillard
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland
NBA
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