The Portland Trail Blazers gave fans a nostalgia-heavy update on LaMarcus Aldridge, sharing photos of the former franchise star back inside the team facility with Damian Lillard.
“Look who it is 🥺,” the Trail Blazers wrote on Instagram.
The team did not announce a formal role, jersey retirement or transaction involving Aldridge. But the post landed because of what Aldridge still means in Portland, and because CJ McCollum, another key figure from that era, responded with a heart emoji.
Heavy
For a franchise that has spent the past year reconnecting with its modern history, Aldridge standing next to Lillard in Blazers gear is meaningful on its own. Lillard officially re-signed with Portland in July 2025, bringing the franchise’s defining modern star back home on a multi-year deal.
Aldridge’s return to a Blazers setting is not roster news. It is not coaching news. But it is a public reunion involving one of the best players in team history, and that matters to fans who remember how complicated his Portland exit once felt.
LaMarcus Aldridge’s Blazers Legacy Is Bigger Than His Exit
Aldridge spent nine seasons with the Trail Blazers after Portland acquired his draft rights in 2006. He became one of the NBA’s top power forwards in Portland and helped carry the franchise from the Brandon Roy era into the early Lillard years.
That is part of why the Blazers’ post hit an emotional chord.
Aldridge was not just a productive player in Portland. He was the face of the frontcourt, a matchup problem in the midrange and a stabilizing star through several versions of the roster. His pick-and-pop game with Lillard gave the Blazers a real offensive foundation early in Lillard’s career.
The ending, though, shaped how many fans remembered the relationship.
Aldridge left Portland for the San Antonio Spurs in 2015, a move that forced the Blazers to reset around Lillard and McCollum. Lillard became the unquestioned face of the franchise almost immediately, while Aldridge went on to play for Gregg Popovich and remain a high-level scorer in San Antonio.
That history made Aldridge a complicated figure in Rip City for years. He was too important to ignore, too good to dismiss and too tied to a painful what-if to be treated like just another former player.
Now, with Lillard back in Portland and Aldridge being welcomed publicly, the franchise appears more willing to embrace the full arc.
Who Is LaMarcus Aldridge? What to Know About the Former Blazers Star
Aldridge is a retired 6-foot-11 power forward/center who played college basketball at Texas before becoming the No. 2 pick in the 2006 NBA draft. His NBA profile lists him with career averages of 19.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists across 17 years in the league.
He is best known for his smooth midrange jumper, turnaround fadeaway and low-post scoring. Aldridge was a seven-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection, spending his career with the Trail Blazers, Spurs and Brooklyn Nets. NBA.com described him in 2021 as “one of the best” players at his position and noted that he began his career with nine seasons in Portland.
Aldridge also has one of the more unusual late-career stories of any recent NBA star. He briefly retired in April 2021 after experiencing an irregular heartbeat while playing for the Nets. NBA.com reported that Aldridge had been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome as a rookie, a condition that can cause a rapid heartbeat.
He later returned to play another season with Brooklyn before retiring again in 2023.
For Blazers fans, though, Aldridge’s identity is still tied most closely to Portland. He was a franchise cornerstone, a bridge between eras and one of the most skilled big men the team has ever had. That is why a simple team post with Aldridge and Lillard was enough to feel bigger than a normal alumni visit.
Portland Trail Blazers Announce LaMarcus Aldridge News