Damian Lillard has no doubt that his early years with the Portland Trail Blazers could have produced a championship if injuries and timing had worked in their favor.
The nine-time All-Star said he believed he and LaMarcus Aldridge had the right mix of talent to capture a title together.
“I felt like, in the next one or two years, we would have won it,” Lillard said, via HoopsHype. “We was one of the best teams my second year — just inexperienced. My third year, we just had a lot of injuries — like major injuries. I feel like that fourth year would have been a good year.”
The guard pointed to the supporting cast that was beginning to round into form, including Will Barton and CJ McCollum, as reasons the team’s ceiling was higher than many realized at the time. Portland consistently competed in the loaded Western Conference, but untimely setbacks derailed their momentum.
Lillard entered the league in 2012, winning Rookie of the Year, while Aldridge was in his prime as one of the NBA’s most polished power forwards. Together, they formed one of the most dangerous inside-outside duos in the league.
Despite their promise, the Blazers never broke through to the Finals. Aldridge departed for the San Antonio Spurs in 2015, leaving Lillard to carry the franchise into its next era.
Now back with Portland on a three-year, $42 million deal after his release from Milwaukee in July, Lillard’s comments add another layer of nostalgia to his reunion with the team. He spent 11 seasons with the Blazers before his stint with the Bucks, where he won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2024.
His return comes under different circumstances, as he recovers from an Achilles injury suffered in the playoffs with Milwaukee. While his health remains a question for the upcoming season, his leadership and connection to Portland are once again central to the franchise’s direction.
Aldridge retired in 2023 after a 17-year career in which he averaged 19.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, earning seven All-Star selections. His partnership with Lillard remains a “what if” scenario in NBA history — one that Lillard still firmly believes could have resulted in a championship banner in Portland.
