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“Not Here”: Damian Lillard Dismisses ‘Emotional’ Moment on Confronting Blazers, 44 Days After Exit

Published 11/25/2023, 12:28 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has reached the crucial crossroads of his career ahead of the Sunday game. The 33-year-old star is all set to face the Portland Trail Blazers for the time since his dramatic exit in the off-season. However, when asked about his emotions ahead of the game, Lillard brought down the hype with an unusual response during the post-game interview after defeating the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Lillard began his NBA career with the Blazers in 2012 and partnership went on strong until the last season. Following the 11-season-long ringless journey with the Rip city, he publicly expressed his wish for a trade in the 2023 off season. After months of trade drama, he joined hands with Giannis Antetokounmpo at Milwaukee. Now that he will go up against his former team for the first time since the trade, let’s find out what he has in the store for us.

Damian Lillard opens up about facing the Blazers

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The Milwaukee Bucks had a historic night defeating the Wizards on Friday night. The players dropped 30+ points, creating a franchise record, to produce a 131-128 victory. Brook Lopez registered 39 points supported by Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo with 31 points each.

USA Today via Reuters

Reaching out to Dame Time in the locker room after the game, one of the reporters asked about the star’s anticipation before facing the Blazers. Despite spending 11 years with the franchise, Lillard had an unusual response. He said, I thought I would be anticipating more, but I’m not really caught up into it.” He added that it would perhaps be different if he had gone to Portland, but facing them in Wisconsin would feel like just another game.

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He also said, “I don’t see it being that emotional… when we go back to Portland… once I walk in the building… when that happens that’s when… That will kind of bring that up but not here.”

It would take quite some time for Lillard to face his former team at Portland, as their next match at Moda Center is on Feb 1, 2024.

Read More – “People Want to See Like a Cinderella”: Despite Limited Knowledge, Damian Lillard Praises NBA In-Season Tournament for One Particular Reason

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While it will take another two months for Lillard to face his former team at home, a Bucks star recently had a heart-warming moment facing his former team.

Jrue Holiday linked up with his former team

A few days back, the Bucks took on the Boston Celtics in an away game. Unlike Dame, Jrue Holiday had a different response to meeting his former team for the first time after the trade. Holiday and Lillard are directly involved in the dramatic off-season trade. Ahead of the match-up, Holiday entered the Bucks locker room and linked up with the players and staff. Notably, Giannis and Holiday shared a smile and a quick handshake before he left the room.

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What do you make of Lillard’s statement on facing his former team? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Shahul Hameed

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Shahul Hameed is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports, where he brings his passion for sports and entertainment journalism to life. With a Master's Degree in journalism from a reputed institute and years of experience in the industry, Shahul always strives to provide insightful and astute coverage of the NBA to the fans. Shahul's love for sports writing dates back to his college days.
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