Damian Lillard has been through plenty of ups and downs in his career, but he says life has brought him back to a place of peace. Speaking recently, the Blazers guard opened up about how family and gratitude have made him feel happier than ever now that he’s able to live with them full-time.
“It’s been great. I’m not an overly expressive person, but I think in my adulthood, coming back here at this time, with the age of my kids, with where the team is, it just feels right,” said Lillard, via HoopsHype. “The team has developed and grown over the last couple of years. Being back where I spent the first 11 years of my career, this is one of the times in my life when I feel extremely happy. Every day, I wake up and I’m thankful. I’m waking up, seeing my kids, and taking them to school. I can just drive down to my mom’s house. It’s a blessing, man. I couldn’t be happier.”
Lillard was with the Trail Blazers for 11 years before he asked for a trade in the summer of 2023. While he was pushing for a move to the Miami Heat, he had to settle for the Bucks instead when they secured a deal to pair him with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Initially, there was a lot of hype surrounding their pairing, but it never took off the way most expected. In their first season together, Giannis and Lillard failed to win 50 games. By the time their second season ended in April 2025, they hadn’t won a single playoff series, with back-to-back losses to the Pacers.
Lillard was miserable in Milwaukee, and his stats showed it with averages of 24.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game over two seasons. So when the Bucks stretched and waived his contract this past summer, Lillard didn’t see it as a punishment.
Rather, it was a chance for him to return to his roots and get back to the place where it all started. While he and his wife are divorced now, he can be at home more often to spend time with his kids and be a bigger part of their lives. Family matters more than anything for Lillard, and it’s part of the reason why he’s grown attached to the Trail Blazers.
On the court, we won’t see Lillard play for some time. After tearing his Achilles tendon in April, it will take him the better part of a year to recover, and Portland isn’t expecting him back at all next season. Instead, he’ll likely serve a mentor role as he continues his healing process. With Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe, and Robert Williams III, Portland has built a solid young core, and they need all the support they can get.
At this stage of his career, Damian Lillard isn’t chasing headlines or hardware. What matters most is waking up next to his kids, being close to family, and finding joy in the game again. For Dame, happiness isn’t tied to a championship; it’s tied to home, and that’s exactly what he’s found back in Portland.
