“His legacy is how he’s going to leave this organization” – Dwyane Wade believes Damian Lilard’s return to Portland is bigger than any ring originally appeared on Basketball Network.
This NBA offseason has been filled with major moves, from Kevin Durant joining the Houston Rockets to the Los Angeles Clippers landing Bradley Beal and Chris Paul. However, no storyline resonates quite like Damian Lillard‘s heartfelt return to the Portland Trail Blazers.
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After his previous team, the Milwaukee Bucks, waived him following his Achilles tendon tear during this year’s playoffs, he soon returned to the team he called home for his first 11 seasons in the league.
Although it remains to be seen what his on-court production will be like once he returns to action, Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade believes the value of Lillard’s return to the Blazers goes beyond any statistic.
Better together
While Lillard played relatively well in his two seasons with the Bucks, averaging 24.6 points and 7.0 steals, the vibe just wasn’t right. Watching him don Milwaukee’s green-themed digs felt a lot like watching Michael Jordan don a Washington Wizards uniform.
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Despite impressive numbers, Lillard never quite seemed to click with fellow superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo or the organization. But now, as he returns to Portland, where he established himself as a star and leader, there is a sense of familiarity and comfort that stats can’t quantify.
“I think people forget that even though this is a business, this is also a relationship,” Wade explained. “We’ve had relationships where you and your significant other have broken up, and you get out there in them streets and realize that it ain’t what it is. It ain’t for me.”
At the end of the 2022-23 season, it became evident that Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers were on diverging paths. At 32 years old and still in his prime, Lillard was poised to compete at the highest level. Meanwhile, the Blazers were focused on rebuilding after a disappointing 33-49 finish. In September 2023, the franchise made a bold move, trading their star player to the Milwaukee Bucks, signaling a fresh start for both sides.
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After realizing how the grass wasn’t greener on the other side, Dame and the Blazers found their way back to one another.
“It’s okay to have that moment where you’re like, ‘Yo, we’re not seeing eye to eye. Let me go here, you go there,'” D-Wade said. “And then to see, like, coming back to this space and seeing that, ‘You know what? It don’t matter where y’all at. Don’t matter where we at. We just better together.'”
Dame’s legacy will be bigger than a championship
On an individual level, Lillard has already cemented his legacy. A nine-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, and the author of some of the most iconic clutch moments in league history, his achievements on the court need no further validation. As Wade remarked, even if Lillard never claims the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the Trail Blazers would still be justified in building a statue in his honor.
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“Dame’s legacy in the NBA will be way bigger than a championship. And I think every player that comes through this league, legacy is not just built on winning a championship,” he explained. “Yes, if you’re one of the greatest, if you want to be in that Top 75, you want to be up there with the GOATs, yes, championships are a part of this game.”
“But that doesn’t mean every player that comes through, that is great at this game, has to walk away with a championship for their legacy to be stamped,” Wade stressed. “And so Dame, to me, is one of those players that — if he never sniffs a championship — it doesn’t change the fact that Dame is a bad MFer.”
Though Lillard remains sidelined, his efforts to mentor and support the Blazers’ rising stars will leave a lasting mark on his legacy. With promising talents like Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and Scoot Henderson, his influence on these players will help shape the team’s present and future.
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“What he does from this point on is even more legacy-building,” Wade asserted. “When you talk about those young core guys that he has around, you look at that roster. They have a lot of young talent. That’s put together now.”
“His legacy is how he’s going to leave — hopefully he ends it in Portland — how he’s going to leave this organization and how he’s going to leave those individual players,” he emphasized.
Lillard’s return to the Blazers is a marriage made in heaven. With his winning attitude and plethora of experience, he can be a mentor and veteran voice in the locker room. And with exciting young players by his side, the future looks bright for Portland.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.