Dame Time in Portland

Damian Lillard has made it clear throughout his tenure in the NBA that he wants to remain with the Portland Trail Blazers. After signing a two-year max contract extension worth $122 million, his word will stand true.

Loyalty

“I’m proud to be the person to jump out in this organization that shows this type of trust and faith in me,” said Lillard. “But I’m even more proud of what a commitment like this from an organization represents.”

Amidst a hectic NBA offseason where the league’s top stars are being moved around, the Portland point guard stayed true to his word. The Trail Blazers drafted Lillard with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 draft where he ended up earning rookie of the year honors.

https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/1545938703981240321

Lillard has been a true superstar since joining the league. Lifting a mediocre Trail Blazer’s team to thrilling playoff victories and being the bell cow for the organization.

An untimely surgery cut Lillard’s last season short. This did not worry the Trail Blazers, obviously, as they reinvested their loyalty to their star.

Future

Despite having other stars around the league try to recruit Lillard to join them, his roots are in Portland. If anything, stars may begin coming to Portland in order to play with a guy of his caliber.

The most recent contract extension will keep Lillard in Portland until the 2026-2027 season. Given his age (31), he’s clearly committed to spending his career in Portland.

Chauncey Billups career earnings (17 seasons): $107M

Damian Lillard extension (2 seasons): $122M pic.twitter.com/2ChuqbXnBw

— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 8, 2022

Head Coach Chauncey Billups praised #0 for his mentality on and off the court, calling him a “true professional”.  He acknowledged that teams are out to find players like Lillard to be the center piece of their franchise.

The Trail Blazer’s and the city of Portland will continue to be on Dame time until further notice.