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Damian Lillard Reveals Injury Timeline During Trail Blazers Media Day
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

NBA superstar Damian Lillard has been one of the best players in the sport for years, but his legacy has taken a hit in recent years.

During his first stint with the Portland Trail Blazers, he went viral for taunting players like Los Angeles Clippers stars at the time, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, for “running from the grind.”

Lillard had his heart set on staying in Portland where he had no co-stars, but his relationship with the team devolved two years ago, leading to him being shipped off to the Milwaukee Bucks.

His tenure with the team was disappointing, and after just two seasons and a torn Achilles back in April, Milwaukee stretched his contract, and he rejoined the Trail Blazers.

An Achilles tear is a devastating injury for any player, but Lillard is 35 years old, so rushing back would be dangerous, even with the advances in modern medicine.

The nine-time All-Star took part in Portland’s media day on Monday and gave an update on if he will play this season, telling reporters, “I don’t plan on it. I feel like if this team is the No. 1 seed, they probably got it. I’m trying to be as healthy as possible.”

It sounds like the offseason reporting around this situation was true, which said Lillard wanted to return to the Trail Blazers because it feels like home and he knew they’d let him recover at his own pace.

The team has no expectations of competing for a championship, so it would make little sense to rush their franchise centerpiece back.

Lillard and the Trailblazers both know that his career is beginning to wind down, but the former never wanted the split anyway, and when the time was right he was welcomed back with open arms.

Portland may not be ready for contention yet, but it just feels right to have Lillard back in the place he was drafted.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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