(Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
The Portland Trail Blazers were often a very exciting team when Damian Lillard was leading them but they were never able to go all the way to the Finals and claim a title.
Lillard has moved on to the Milwaukee Bucks and is hoping he has more luck there but he still thinks about what could have been in Portland.
During his appearance on the “Club 520″ podcast, per NBACentral, Lillard said the Blazers could have won a championship if LaMarcus Aldridge remained on the team.
“If [Lamarcus Aldridge] would have never went to San Antonio, we would have won at least once already. I would have came into my own but he was that good,” Lillard said.
“If [Lamarcus Aldridge] would have never went to San Antonio, we would have won at least once already. I would have came into my own but he was that good.”
– Damian Lillard
(via @club520podcast / h/t @BASKETBALLonX ) pic.twitter.com/dyqpr1uX4c
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 20, 2024
Lillard and Aldridge made magic together during their years on the team.
Aldridge perfectly complemented Lillard’s style of play and even though they didn’t have a lot of luck in the postseason, they were repeatedly doing great things on the court.
During his nine seasons in Portland, Aldridge averaged 19.4 points and 8.4 rebounds.
He earned multiple All-Star appearances and was heralded as one of the best big men in the Western Conference.
But rumors about him wanting to leave the Blazers grew louder and louder and he ultimately departed for the San Antonio Spurs in 2015-16.
That meant that Lillard was the one definitive leader of the Blazers, a task he mostly handled well but their chances only diminished without Aldridge.
Blazers fans will always remember this period in team history, even though it didn’t result in a championship.
But if both players remained in Portland, who knows how far they could have gone?
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