Nearly five months removed from a trade to the Milwaukee Bucks, star Damian Lillard returned to Portland for the first time on Wednesday, where Trail Blazers fans gave him a hero's welcome.
During player introductions, fans showered Lillard with a standing ovation, which lasted almost a minute.
Damian Lillard receives an ovation from Rip City in his return to Portland ❤️
— NBA (@NBA) February 1, 2024
Trail Blazers-Bucks | LIVE on ESPN pic.twitter.com/HFjFhcRcS9
Lillard's reception was unsurprising and well-deserved. Over 11 seasons with the franchise, he earned seven All-NBA and All-Star selections before ultimately leaving as the team's all-time leading scorer.
Ahead of his first trip back to Portland, Lillard said he was playing "free" thanks to the opportunity given to him by the Trail Blazers.
"The reason it all came about in the first place was for a chance to win it all. We couldn't be at that place at the same time," Lillard told Anne M. Peterson of the Associated Press. "So I come back with love and I'm excited to be back in the Moda Center."
Even though the Bucks recently fired head coach Adrian Griffin, replacing him with veteran Doc Rivers, Lillard is still in a tremendous position to succeed. Entering play Wednesday, Milwaukee (32-15) held the second-best mark in the Eastern Conference, behind only the Boston Celtics (37-11).
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