As Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge was the face of the Portland franchise, whose colors he defended from 2006 to 2015. Like the playmaker, the interior, best rebounder in the history of the franchise, did his best to hoist Portland as high as possible in the hierarchy in the West. Until the day he made the decision to leave, thus leaving the keys to the truck to the next generation, then embodied by “Dame Time”.
Eight years later, it is Damian Lillard who finds himself in a similar situation. After trying to take the Blazers to the top, the leader announced his decision to want to see something else.
A choice that LMA understands, even if it recognizes that the situation is now particularly delicate.
“He’s a really loyal guy. I think he gave everything to the franchise and to the city, everything he could to be able to claim a championship title. He should be congratulated for that,” said LaMarcus Aldridge in the “Oddball” podcast. ” It’s hard. When you’re in a situation where you’ve been in one place for that long. You have to understand how it happens, it becomes your team. So it becomes difficult to leave like that.”
Pushed to the limit?
For LaMarcus Aldridge, if his former teammate finally requested his transfer to the Blazers, it was because he saw no other solution. And that the club’s inability to surround him in the best possible way exasperated him.
“He must have reached a point of no return, to ask to leave. I’m sure it’s a difficult decision for him, knowing the city and being an integral part of this structure, this community. I’m sure he’s having a hard time right now. But like I said, to get to this situation, he really had to be pushed to do it,” he added.
LaMarcus Aldridge ended up returning to his native Texas by joining the Spurs, where he spent six years from 2015 to 2021, without managing to win a title.
Looking back, the interior appreciated the rather unique environment of Portland, and this atmosphere which encouraged him to always give his all, even when the stakes were not always there.
“The fans are incredible, the city is really beautiful. For me, coming from Texas, it was a total change of scenery, with very green grass, hills,” he continued. “The fanbase is incredible. Once you really understand this city, you love living there. When you win, the city is completely behind you (…). It could be a Wednesday in January in the rain, against an average team, you entered the field and the room was full. For that, the city helped us win matches.”
| Damian Lillard | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | POR | 82 | 39 | 42.9 | 36.8 | 84.4 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 6.5 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.2 | 19.1 |
| 2013-14 | POR | 82 | 36 | 42.4 | 39.4 | 87.1 | 0.4 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 20.7 |
| 2014-15 | POR | 82 | 36 | 43.4 | 34.3 | 86.4 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 21.0 |
| 2015-16 | POR | 75 | 36 | 41.9 | 37.5 | 89.2 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 6.8 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 25.1 |
| 2016-17 | POR | 75 | 36 | 44.4 | 37.0 | 89.5 | 0.6 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 27.0 |
| 2017-18 | POR | 73 | 37 | 43.9 | 36.1 | 91.6 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 26.9 |
| 2018-19 | POR | 80 | 36 | 44.4 | 36.9 | 91.2 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 6.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 25.8 |
| 2019-20 | POR | 66 | 38 | 46.3 | 40.1 | 88.8 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 30.0 |
| 2020-21 | POR | 67 | 36 | 45.1 | 39.1 | 92.8 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 28.8 |
| 2021-22 | POR | 29 | 36 | 40.2 | 32.4 | 87.8 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 7.3 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 24.0 |
| 2022-23 | POR | 58 | 36 | 46.3 | 37.1 | 91.4 | 0.8 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 7.3 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 32.2 |
| Total | 769 | 36 | 43.9 | 37.2 | 89.5 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 25.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
