Lillard, 33, will join Giannis Antetokounmpo and leave Portland after 11 seasons. He guided the Trail Blazers to eight
playoff appearances, including a 2019 Western Conference finals appearance. He is the team’s all-time leading scorer
and 3-point shooter.
The seven-time All-Star’s departure from the franchise appeared inevitable after he formally sought a trade in early
July, but the news nonetheless shocked the NBA world.
Lillard joins a slew of talents in leaving the series where they rose to prominence.
Here’s a look at some notable stars who made headlines when they departed teams where they had spent at least ten
seasons.
Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, spent 15 seasons as the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback, including 11 playoff
appearances and a Super Bowl triumph. He joins a New York Jets team that has been plagued by losses; the team has
not made the playoffs in 12 years, the longest active skid among the country’s four major sports.
It’s likely the largest transaction in team history, recalling the Brett Favre deal with the Packers in 2008.
Twenty years is quite a commitment. Just ask Tom Brady, who was picked by the New England Patriots in 2000 and
has spent 20 consecutive seasons with the team.
However, in March 2020, TB12 surprised the sporting world by announcing that it was time for his second act. The
then-42-year-old, probably the greatest quarterback of all time, announced on social media that he had signed a deal
with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Seeing the six-time Super Bowl winner suit up to play somewhere else than Gillette Stadium in the following NFL
season was certainly odd—as was witnessing him hoist the Lombardi Trophy for another organization after winning
his seventh Super Bowl ring at the end of his first postseason
Brady declared his retirement after two seasons in Tampa Bay, but the impact of his departure from New England
never really subsided.
