PORTLAND, On Wednesday evening, Damian Lillard stepped into Portland’s Moda Center for the first time as a
Milwaukee Bucks player, automatically heading toward the home locker room.
That was the same route he’d followed as a Trail Blazer for 11 years, and he later admitted that he still doesn’t feel
like a visitor returning to the city.
“I really didn’t know where to go,” Lillard admitted at a pregame press conference. “I’d never been in the visitors
locker room until today.”
Wednesday was Lillard’s first game in Portland since being traded to Milwaukee in October. He received a one-
minute standing ovation when his name was presented during pregame introductions. The Blazers did their share to
spoil the homecoming, defeating the Bucks 119-116, with Lillard contributing 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists.
While Lillard highlighted his dedication to the Bucks, he also left the door open for a possible return to the team that
picked him before his career ends.
“Because of how I feel about Portland,” Lillard explained. “How I feel about this company and the time I spent here,
I’ve always assumed that’s how my career will finish.
“Right now, I’m just in a state of, like, this is where I am now. I’m in Milwaukee. I wanted to compete, and our squad
has the ability to do so this year and in the future, and I’m simply living in it. But when I was traded, I knew I’d be
back in a Trail Blazers uniform before I was done.”
Lillard arrived in Portland before the Bucks, following Monday’s game. He still has family here and expressed his
desire to sleep in his own bed and throw a birthday celebration for his twins, Kali and Kalii.
