The news of Damian Lillard leaving his franchise sent the entire NBA world into a frenzy. After months of drama surrounding his future in the league, it finally reached a conclusion as he bade goodbye to Rip City. The superstar penned down his thoughts as he let his emotions run wild in his final message.
The 33-year-old even addressed the outrage surrounding this trade situation, emphasizing his point of view. His end note to the supporters came right before the start of next season as both parties aimed to look ahead.
What did Damian Lillard mention?
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After a series of controversies, Lillard left the Portland Trail Blazers to sign for the Milwaukee Bucks. Following the finalization of his trade, he shared his side of the story with the Blazers’ fans. Starting his message with “It’s a see you later,” he expressed his feelings for the fanbase as he addressed it for the last time in a long time.
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The point guard emphasized how his moments on the basketball court “don’t compare” to his bond with the supporters. Soon after that, he highlighted the fury surrounding his move within the Rip City as he planned to resolve it in the future. The opposing voices made the former Rookie of the Year “sad” as he claimed, “I’m truly one of you”.
The initial portions of his farewell note revealed the intricate bond he had shared with the fans over the years. Moving over 2000 miles away from his decade-long residence came as a hard pill to swallow for the 7-time All-Star. Thus, he hoped to “come together and reminisce on the great times” later in his life.
As Dame put his personal goals over the city of Portland, he reflected on this time there. His message filled up the hearts of the Blazers supporters with agony, with the upcoming season throwing challenges at them.
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How will the Portland Trail Blazers cope?
The franchise will be entering an NBA season without their long-serving talisman for the first time since 2012. Since picking Lillard as a sixth overall pick in the draft, the organization never for once had to regret their choice. From the player’s side, though, the story turned out to be a bit different.
With various reports of disagreements between the two parties, the face of the team was often left frustrated. After numerous unfavorable trades and decisions, most significant of which involved getting rid of his long-time backcourt partner CJ McCollum, Damian Lillard finally had to put himself first. So, following a three-way trade, the franchise added new pieces to the squad and let their Superstar leave.
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They may go through a rebuild after all these as the hopes of them changing the future look dim at the moment. Where do you see Portland Trail Blazers finishing in the regular season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.