In the 2010s. All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge’s run with the Portland Trail Blazers proved effective on the court. Now, the Milwaukee Bucks star has opened up about that part of his career in the Rip City.
In a recent interview, Lillard reflected on his former team’s championship aspirations if Aldridge had never left the franchise, revealing that if Aldridge had stayed in Portland, the Trail Blazers would have won at least one NBA title.
Lillard and Aldridge formed a active duo in Portland, leading the team to the playoffs in consecutive seasons from 2013-14 to 2014-15. However, their postseason streak was cut brief in 2014 when they faced the championship-clinching San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Spurs were hoping to transition from the Tim Duncan era to Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard forming a recent coreHowever, Leonard’s quadriceps injury and the subsequent drama surrounding his departure from San Antonio circumscribed the pair’s time together on the court.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard opens up about his time with the Portland Trail Blazers with LaMarcus Aldridge
According to Lillard, the Trail Blazers were one step away from a title, but Aldridge’s decision to join the Spurs in the 2015 offseason significantly derailed their championship dreams. You can see it in a video posted by Club 520 on the official X account.
Damian Lillard on What He and LaMarcus Aldridge Could Do Together in Portland
“If [Aldridge] I would never go to San Antonio, we would have won at least once. I would have stepped into what was mine, but he was so good.”
By @club520podcast photo:twitter.com/2IS6Ry2kDd
— Retweet NBA (@RTNBA) August 21, 2024
Last year, the Trail Blazers traded Lillard to the Bucks. and decided to start rebuildingMeanwhile, the All-Star point guard’s first campaign in Milwaukee ended with an early playoff exit at the hands of Tyrese Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers.
Lillard’s comments are a reminder of the fine line between success and missed opportunities in the NBA. The Trail Blazers had the pieces to contend for a title, but Aldridge’s decision to join the Spurs ultimately prevented them from achieving their championship aspirations.
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