Damian Lillard chose to return home. The nine-time NBA All-Star could have signed with a new team, but he decided to go back to the franchise where his professional basketball journey began. It was in Portland where he became a legend.
Lillard just agreed to a three-year, $42 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. This move triggered a strong reaction from NBA reporter Rachel Nichols, who got emotional upon hearing the news — a moment that also stirred deep nostalgia among NBA fans.
A big moment for the NBA
One of the NBA’s best players is returning home, something that excites any basketball fan — especially when it’s someone like Damian Lillard. That’s exactly what happened to Nichols, who expressed her excitement on her official X account.
I was such a huge fan of the Dame era in Portland; him going back feels like a big win. I respect pro athletes’ relentless desire to win a title, and *I’m in no way saying that shouldn’t be the goal* BUT pretending that is the only thing is just flat-out ignoring part of the…
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 18, 2025
“I was a huge fan of the Dame era in Portland; his return feels like a big win. I respect the relentless drive professional athletes have to win a title, and I’m not saying that shouldn’t be the goal, BUT pretending it’s the only thing that matters ignores a big part of the experience.
According to a report by Athlon Sports, When you capture that special lightning in a bottle — the bond that guys like Steph, Kobe, and Dame have with their team’s fans — that’s not nothing. In fact, once you have it, it might end up being the most important thing of all,” said the Fox Sports commentator.
Lillard recently left the Milwaukee Bucks, the team he joined in 2023 through a trade involving the Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns. Unfortunately, during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Damian Lillard suffered an Achilles tendon tear in a game against the Indiana Pacers. The injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. After that, Milwaukee used the stretch provision on the $113 million remaining on his contract and released him. Now, Lillard is expected to come back strong for the 2025–26 season.
