Damian Lillard discussed his reasoning for re-signing with the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, mostly focusing on his family.
“Just knowing that I’m going to be back home for all parts of my life, with my kids, playing for the Trail Blazers, driving on the same streets that I’ve driven on pretty much my entire adulthood, my whole family being here, my mom, my brother, my sisters, all my friends around the city of Portland,” Lillard said. “All of those things count. I wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon.”
Lillard signed a three-year deal with the Blazers last week that includes a no-trade clause and a player option for the third year.
The 35-year-old did not rule out the chance of returning to the court next season as he rehabs his torn Achilles, though he added that he would not rush.
“My prideful self would be thinking differently, but I think with age, you get wiser,” Lillard said. “Like Joe [Cronin] said, it’s going to be ultimately what’s best, I think, to take as much time as possible to make sure that I’m right, that’s what I’ll do.”
Lillard currently holds franchise records for most points and 3-pointers. The Blazers won four playoff series and went to the Western Conference Finals once during Lillard’s previous 11 seasons with the team.
Chauncey Billups added that he was going to make Lillard an active participant in the team next season despite his injury.
“I told him that this year he’s going to be the highest-paid assistant coach in league history because I’ll be putting him to work every day,” Billups said.
