Damian Lillard gets all of Oregon’s hopes up with hint at future return to Blazers

Last night, future Hall of Famer Damian Lillard returned to Portland to face the Trail Blazers for the first time since being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason. 

Lillard spent 11 years with the Blazers as the face of their franchise, so it was a heartfelt and emotional night for him and fans alike.

In honor of Lillard and to thank him for the lasting impact he’s had and will continue to have on the city of Portland, the Trail Blazers commemorated time with the franchise with this incredible tribute video:

The two-minute clip was one of two montages they showed in the first quarter of last night’s game against the Bucks, which highlights not only what Dame means to Portland and the entire state of Oregon but also illustrates what Portland, Oregon means to Dame.

Alas, The Blazers went on to spoil the love affair that was Lillard’s homecoming, defeating the Bucks 119-116. However, that didn’t stop him from soaking in the moment and reflecting on his 11-year tenure with the franchise, leaving the door open for a potential reunion one day – potentially getting the entire state of Oregon’s hopes up.

Damian Lillard hints at future return to Portland Trail Blazers

“Because of how I feel about Portland… How I feel about the organization here and my time that I spent here, in my mind I’ve always felt like that’s how my career would end,” Lillard said on finishing his NBA career where he started.

“I’m in Milwaukee, I wanted the opportunity to contend, and our team has an opportunity to contend for this year and years to come, and I’m just living in that… I see a day where I’ll be in a Trail Blazer uniform again before I’m done,” Dame added.

Even though he is with the Bucks, Lillard’s home is still in Portland, so he decided to get there a couple of days ahead of the rest of his current team. He still has his family there, including his two kids, whom he plans to host a birthday party for. Lillard also talked about how excited he is to sleep in his bed.

All in all, there is still synergy between Lillard, the Trail Blazers, and the entire state of Oregon, even though he requested a trade this past summer. It seems the door has officially been left open for Lillard's eventual return to Portland.