The Hall of Fame career of Damian Lillard continues with the Portland Trail Blazers this season. However, Lillard did leave for a few years to chase an NBA Championship with the Milwaukee Bucks. Pundits expected Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo to contend for a title, but they never got past the first round in the short tenure together. Both men suffered injuries as the main reason for failure.
However, Lillard revealed more details about never feeling at home and always being out of sync after leaving Portland:
“It was a solid experience. I met a lot of people there that I’m still friends with today. I had a good experience with the organization. I was going through a lot personally that made it a challenge, but it was a solid experience. Doing something outside of Portland, playing with a great player like Giannis, I think that was a luxury that I hadn’t experienced, playing with somebody that’s gonna show up – he’s gonna compete. So that was like fun for me. I could just feel that it wasn’t my home.”
Lillard shared some positives about playing with new talent and forming friendships, but the negative side was stronger. A divorce and living away from his children made life hard for Lillard. The goal of winning a title with Giannis, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez never came to be. Instead, Lillard spent more time feeling homesick and never feeling Milwaukee was his home.
Damian Lillard Proves Real Life Can Impact Work
Basketball players can feel larger than life when it comes to wealth, fame, and talent. The average person would struggle to relate to the lives or careers of LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama for countless reasons.
However, Lillard reminded us that human elements like family and moving away from them can still be a big deal. Milwaukee did get an All-Star caliber player, but Lillard never felt right on the Bucks compared to his presence as a Trail Blazers legend.
Even the short sample size so far shows Lillard fitting in with the new Portland tenure with teammates like Ja Morant and Deni Avdija. The Milwaukee tenure ended with a painful injury, and Lillard getting waived ahead of a long rehab.
Can Damian Lillard Contend With Blazers?
The rest of Lillard’s interview featured him talking about Portland and their chances of success. Lillard referenced liking the depth with young talents like Donovan Clingan and Scoot Henderson merging with him and other veterans.
The following quote from Lillard referenced happiness in his current situation:
“So, you see the opportunity that’s there. We got depth, we got wings, we got talent. I could fit into what’s going on with this team. And it’s my team that I’ve played for all these years. My family. I built my house there. I can be back with my kids. And it was mutual. I didn’t just have this idea in my head. They had the same idea. And once we got together it was like this is right.”
Lillard is at peace getting to play at home and spend time with his family on a more normal schedule. Portland has a chance to make some noise in the West if the three-guard combo of Lillard, Morant, and Jrue Holiday can form chemistry.
Damian Lillard Reveals Sad Reason Why Bucks Experiment Failed