Bucks' Damian Lillard reveals incident that cost him a title with the Trail Blazers

Before making the blockbuster trade to the Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard spent nearly a decade building a championship contender with the Portland Trail Blazers. While the team became one of the better teams in the Western Conference during that time, the Blazers only reached the Conference Finals in 2019. They faced Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors, who swept them when their dynasty was already on its last legs. After settling in with his new team, Damian Lillard reflects on whether he and All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge could have brought a ring to Portland.

Dame recently appeared on the Club 520 podcast with Jeff Teague, where they discussed all sorts of NBA topics.

“One thing I keep in mind throughout my career is, 'If he had never gone to San Antonio, we would have won at least once by now,'” he said in response to a question about his game with the seven-time All-Star.

Dame Time ahead of the Bucks

In 2015, LaMarcus Aldridge signed as a free agent with the Spurs, where he contributed to their playoff teams until injuries slowed him down. In 2021, LA then joined the Brooklyn Nets, who became title favorites after forming a Big Three with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. However, a diagnosis of irregular heartbeat eventually forced him to hang up his sneakers for good.

What did Damian Lillard think would have happened if LaMarcus Aldridge had stayed with the Blazers?

“I would have found myself, but he was so good,” he said. “He was so good.”

On the other hand, Lillard also helped lead the Blazers to the playoffs throughout his tenure, and he also provided memorable moments, like the three-pointers as the final whistle sounded to eliminate the Houston Rockets in 2014 and the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018. The second game-winning shot was even harder than the first, a 37-footer over Russell Westbrook that capped their rivalry.

Even after falling out of the standings, the Blazers made it into the playoffs as the eighth seed against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the Orlando Bubble. After winning Game 1, the Blazers became the “best eighth seed ever” until the Lakers won four games in a row to send them home.

The last time Lillard led the team to the playoffs was in 2021 against the Denver Nuggets, where they went home in six games in the first round. During that series, he also set a playoff record of 12 made three-pointers in the classic double-overtime Game 5.

Can Damian Lillard finally win a ring?

When the Blazers finally decided to rebuild, they sent Dame to the Bucks, where he, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, had his best chance to win his first NBA ring. Despite the Bucks' playoff exit last season, Damian Lillard still has a better chance of winning a title in a relatively weaker Eastern Conference. However, it remains to be seen whether Lillard's years of hard work with his former team will finally pay off in June.