Monday marked the return of Portland’s favorite son, as Lillard met with the media to discuss an earlier-than-anticipated homecoming. Last week, the nine-time All-Star announced he was returning to the Rose City two years after requesting a trade that took him 2,000 miles from the only NBA home he’d ever known.

Lillard reflects on coming home to Portland, expressing deep gratitude for the city, the franchise and the emotional moment he told his kids they wouldn’t have to leave again.

Damian Lillard says returning to Portland was both a basketball and family decision. He signed a three-year, $42 million deal with the Blazers after spending his first 11 NBA seasons in Portland before a trade sent him to Milwaukee for the 2023-24 season.