In a recent chat with the media, Bucks star Damian Lillard shed some light on his post-retirement plans. Apparently, they include buying an ownership stake in the Portland Trail Blazers with his former teammate and backcourt sharpshooter, CJ McCollum.
“Absolutely, absolutely, I’ll definitely be a participant in that,” said Lillard on potentially owner the Blazers after he retires.
It’s not often that former players make the jump to become NBA owners, but there have been a few over the course of NBA history. The most notable by far is Michael Jordan, who just recently sold his stake in the Hornets after years of running the franchise. Shaquille O’Neal was part owner of the Sacramento Kings for a time before he finally sold all his shares. While LeBron James doesn’t have his own team yet, there are already rumblings that he’s set on owning the expansion team in Las Vegas. Lillard is still years away from thinking about a potential ownership role but there are few people better-suited for that particular position than Lillard.
Damian, 33, played for 11 seasons with the Trail Blazers and he was happy to be there as the franchise’s face/leader on and off the court. He was (and still is) beloved by the city and his legacy as the greatest Trail Blazer ever was set in stone after breaking the franchise’s all-time scoring record last season. Unfortunately, after over a decade of mismanagement and poor team building, Lillard forced himself out this past summer and he’s on the Bucks now with aspirations of winning the title. Going forward, only time will tell us how the next chapter fares for Dame but it’s clear that he still has a special connection to the Trail Blazers and it’s likely he’ll return there whether it’s during the tail end of his career or after he’s retired in some sort of official role.
Will Damian Lillard Regret Leaving The Portland Trail Blazers?
While Damian Lillard has never had a better chance for the championship, the transition hasn’t exactly been a smooth one for the 8x All-Star. In Portland, Lillard had almost everything that a star could want: familiarity, VIP treatment, and an untouchable legacy as a franchise legend. With the Bucks, Lillard is more of a sidekick than anything else and he’s been playing behind Giannis Antetokounmpo all season long. His offensive efficiency and overall stats have taken a hit this season across the board with averages of 25.0 points on an abysmal 42.7% shooting. The Bucks, while impressive on paper, have been underwhelming this season on both ends of the floor, especially on defense, where they rank 18th in the NBA.
Between these struggles, along with the midseason coaching change, it is clear that the Bucks are working through some serious problems this season and it will take a cohesive effort from everyone to find a solution. For Lillard, who turns 34 in July, he’s risked everything to put himself in this situation and it could come back to haunt him if he fails to deliver on a championship in Milwaukee. As for his dreams of being an owner/governor, his best hope is getting a minority stake given that current majority owner Jody Allen has given no indication that she’s looking to sell. But regardless of how those plans turn out, Lillard is in the business of winning and he’s putting it all out there on the floor for his new team.
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