When Damian Lillard tore his left Achilles tendon during the playoffs two seasons ago, he recalls that a television pundit said the injury would be the end of his career.
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injury → tear → career
Lillard returns this season for the Portland Trail Blazers after spending some 16 months rehabbing the injury he sustained while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
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he → return → Bucks
“I remember the night that I did it.
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I → remember → it
Came back to my house and I was looking at the highlights from the rest of the playoff games.
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I → come → games
And I remember, I was watching one of the shows on TV, and they was like, ‘This is the last of Dame Lillard as we know it,’” Lillard said.
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Lillard → remember → it
“Right then that just kind of turned me up, you know.
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you → turn → me
Not because I feel like I need to prove something, but like I’m somebody that gets up and I’m gonna fight the fight every time.”
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I → feel → fight
Lillard, signed a three-year, $42 million deal to rejoin the Blazers in July 2025 after spending two seasons with the Bucks.
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Lillard → sign → Bucks
The nine-time All-Star had spent the first 11 seasons of his career with Portland, which selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
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which → spend → draft
Lillard averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists in his final season with the Bucks, but he played only 58 games because of deep vein thrombosis.
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he → average → thrombosis
He injured his Achilles tendon during Milwaukee’s first-round playoff series against Indiana.
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He → injure → Indiana
Lillard joins a team in transition.
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Lillard → join → transition
Tiago Splitter, the coach who took over last season after Chauncey Billups was arrested in a federal gambling probe and led the Blazers to the playoffs, moved on to the Chicago Bulls, and Portland hired former Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori.
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Portland → take → Nori
The Blazers are also adjusting to the ownership style of Tom Dundon, who took over before the end of last season.
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who → adjust → season
Over the summer, the team laid off more than 70 staffers.
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team → lay → staffers
Lillard and Morant are excited about playing together
The Blazers traded for Ja Morant in the offseason, giving them a fourth point guard along with Lillard, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday.
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Blazers → play → Lillard
There’s been speculation about how Morant, a two-time All-Star seeking a fresh start, and Lillard, the Blazers’ all-time leading scorer, will coexist in Portland’s backcourt.
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Morant → seek → backcourt
During the team’s first preseason game this month, a 123-118 victory over Golden State, Lillard and Morant each logged 19 minutes, with Lillard scoring 15 points and Morant contributing eight points and five assists.
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Morant → log → points
Lillard is unconcerned about roles, maintaining there will be more options for the Blazers and more challenges for opponents.
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Lillard → maintain → opponents
“If I get the ball and I’m advancing the ball ahead to Ja Morant, I feel pretty good about it.
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I → get → it
And if I’m advancing the ball to Deni Avdija, I feel good about it.
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I → advance → it
And for both of those guys, if they are attacking the rim, attacking the paint, and they’re kicking the ball out to me for the 3-pointer, I think they should feel great about that,” Lillard said.
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Lillard → attack → that
“So, for all of us, if we are just doing the right thing, playing the right way, it’ll be a lot of opportunity where that presents itself.”
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that → do → itself
Morant has averaged 22.4 points for his career but has played only 79 games over the last three seasons because of injuries and suspensions, including a 25-game ban for flashing a gun on a livestream.
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Morant → average → livestream
The 27-year-old Morant said he’s hoping for a fresh start and wants to prove the doubters wrong, much like Lillard.
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doubters → say → Lillard
The two have mutual respect, with Morant praising Lillard for his leadership and work ethic.
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Morant → have → leadership
“My job is to just try to make his job easier,” Morant said.
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Morant → try → ?
“Try to take some of the, you know, problems or doubles away from him.
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you → try → him
Take some of those looks, give him easier looks, and with how he’s shooting the ball.
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he → take → ball
I don’t think that’s a problem at all.”
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that → think → ?
Lillard, with career averages of 25.1 points and 6.7 assists, said he feels fully healthy after the extended time off.
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he → say → time
At the same time, at 36, he doesn’t feel like he has to carry the Blazers as much as he did earlier in his career.
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he → feel → career
“I’m capable of doing whatever I need to do.
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I → ’m → whatever
But at this stage, I don’t think I need to kill myself in the regular season, trying to play 37, 36, 35 minutes if it’s unnecessary,” he said.
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he → think → minutes
“You know, we’ve got a lot of guards.
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we → know → guards
We got a lot of ability at the guard position, and I don’t think it should be necessary for me to have to play 35 minutes.
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me → get → minutes
But to answer your question, I’m definitely able to to play however many minutes I need to play and I’m prepared to.”
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I → answer → minutes
The Aporia
