Damian Lillard gets some practice time with the Blazers ahead of their first meeting

admin | November 26, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks is reflecting on his time in Portland ahead of a game against the Trail Blazers.

It’s never easy for a professional player to go up against a squad for which he or she previously played. It’s much more difficult when the player genuinely cared for their previous squad.Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard is feeling nostalgic as he prepares to face his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, for the first time since leaving.

“My time in Portland was great, bro, I loved it, the organization, and the people I worked with every day,” Lillard told The Player’s Tribune.

Lillard has been the face of the Portland Trail Blazers for more than a decade. With the Blazers, he was a seven-time NBA All-Star and the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2013. But his stint with the Blazers ended in disappointment, as Lillard played in fewer games in his final few seasons in Portland. The club was also unable to reach the NBA Finals with Lillard at the helm. With Lillard, the team won division titles in 2015 and 2018, but never a Western Conference crown.

Lillard is in his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks and is getting ready to face Portland for the first time. Lillard is averaging more over 25 points per game for the Bucks this season. Milwaukee is 11-5 on the season, and the veteran guard is averaging more than 6 assists per game. Lillard seemed to have benefited greatly from a change.

The veteran guard is sorely missed in Portland. With a 4-11 record this season, the Blazers are suffering. The club had dropped eight consecutive games until defeating Utah 121-105 last week. Portland will attempt to make it two in a row when they face their old teammate on Sunday.

Portland and Milwaukee tip off Sunday at 3:30 Eastern.