Портлэнд Трэйл Блэйзерсийн од Дамиан Лиллард хүнд бэртлийн дараа талбайдаа эргэн ирж, өөрийн чадвараа дахин нотолж байна.
Портлэнд Трэйл Блэйзерс Лос Анжелес Лэйкерсийг 136-129-ийн харьцаатай буулган авсан тоглолтын төгсгөлд Дамиан Лиллард чухал гурван онооны шидэлтийг амжилттай гүйцэтгэлээ. Тоглолт дуусахад 43.1 секунд дутуу байхад тэрээр Дени Авдиягийн дамжуулалтыг хүлээн авч, Матисс Тайбуллийг хууран 25 футын зайнаас шидсэн нь багтаа ялалт авчирсан юм.
Лиллард 2025 оны дөрөвдүгээр сард Милуоки Баксын бүрэлдэхүүнд байхдаа Ахиллес шөрмөсөө тасалсны улмаас өнгөрсөн улирлыг бүхэлд нь өнжсөн билээ. Улмаар Милуоки Бакс түүнийг багаасаа чөлөөлсөн нь түүний карьерын хамгийн хүнд үе байв. Гэвч тэрээр Портлэнд Трэйл Блэйзерст эргэн нэгдэж, одоогийн байдлаар 21.7 оноо, 45.2 хувийн шидэлт болон карьерын дээд амжилт болох 42.9 хувийн гурван онооны шидэлтээр улирлыг үргэлжлүүлж байна.
Өөрийн нөхцөл байдлын талаар Лиллард “Би өөрийнхөө хэн бэ гэдгийг мэднэ. Энэ нь статус биш, харин хэрхэн ажиллаж, сорилт бүрт хэрхэн хариу үйлдэл үзүүлж байгаатай холбоотой” хэмээн онцолсон юм. Түүний багийн шинэ гишүүн Жа Морант Лиллардын шидэлт бүрийг багийнхны хувьд баярлах шалтгаан болдог гэдгийг тэмдэглэжээ.
Портлэнд Трэйл Блэйзерс энэ зун Жа Морантыг бүрэлдэхүүндээ нэмснээр Жру Холидэй, Дени Авдия, Скут Хендерсон, Донован Клинган, Тумани Камара нартай хүчирхэг багийг бүрдүүлээд байна. Лиллард эрүүл саруул, сэтгэл хангалуун байгаа бөгөөд багийнхаа амжилтыг үргэлжлүүлэн бүтээхэд бэлэн байгаагаа илэрхийллээ.
Дэлгэрэнгүй эх сурвалжийг харах
Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Damian Lillard had been in this situation many times before.
With 43.1 seconds remaining and the Trail Blazers up, 132-129, his teammates wanted the ball in his hands. It was Dame Time. It was the type of moment he lives for.
Deni Avdija passed the ball to Lillard, who made a pump-fake, shaking Matisse Thybulle. Lillard stepped behind the 3-point line and fired a 25-foot jumper. The ball swished through the net, sealing a 136-129 win over the Lakers on Tuesday.
But this shot meant something different.
Lillard had missed all of last season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Bucks’ first-round playoff series against the Pacers in April 2025. A few months later, he was stunningly waived by Milwaukee. It was the lowest point in his career.
Through all of that, Lillard learned something about himself.
“That I am who I think I am,” Lillard told the California Post in an exclusive interview. “Not as far as status, but the way that I operate, how I answer the call. I rise to whatever comes my way. It just showed me that’s really who I am.”
The 36-year-old Lillard’s resilience was deeply tested over the last few years.
After requesting a trade from the Trail Blazers, where he spent the first 11 years of his career, he had hoped to land in Miami. But he was unexpectedly dealt to Milwaukee in September 2023.
Lillard was shocked but decided to shake off the disappointment and embrace playing alongside two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on a Bucks team that had championship aspirations.
But things didn’t go as planned.
The injury-riddled Bucks never got past the first round of the playoffs. Antetokounmpo missed two games of the 2024 postseason with a lower back injury as the Bucks fell to the eighth-seeded Heat in five games. The following postseason, Antetokounmpo was sidelined the entire opening-round series against the Pacers with a left calf strain — before things took a turn for the worse.
Midway through the first quarter of Game 4 against the Pacers on April 27, 2025, Lillard fell to the floor, grabbing his left lower leg and ankle. It was obvious he had suffered a torn Achilles tendon, aninjury infamous for altering stars’ careers.
That’s a scary prospect for any athlete, especially one of theNBA’s top-75 players, who’s a nine-time All-Star and is widely considered one of the best point guards of all time.
When asked if he were worried he’d return as a lesser version of himself, Lillard didn’t hesitate.
“Never a moment I thought that,” Lillard told The Post.
For Lillard, things got worse before they got better. He was cut by the Bucks three months laterwith two years and $113 million left on his contract.He had suffered one of the most dreaded injuries in the NBA and was without a team.
He had no idea what was next. Would he be on his own until he was healthy and then need to work out for teams? Would someone come knocking before then? The uncertainty of it all was dizzying.
But everything came full circle for Lillard. After 2 ½ weeks as a free agent, he re-signed with the Trail Blazers.Lillard was going home. And the franchise was getting back its superstar.
Through everything, Lillard never lost faith in himself.
And so far thisseason, he has proven himself right.
He’s averaging 21.7 points on 45.2% shooting from the field and a career-high 42.9% from beyond the arc for the Trail Blazers (3-0).
“Pretty much every time he shoots, I think it’s good,” Ja Morant said Tuesday. “I’m pretty much bracing for a celebration every time he shoots. But in the fourth quarter, I’m for sure doing it.”
Things are working out for Lillard.
His team is already turning heads this season.
The Trail Blazers added Morant over the summer to a roster that includes Lillard, two-time champion Jrue Holiday, reigning All-Star Avdija, Scoot Henderson, Donovan Clingan and Toumani Camara.
If things keep trending in this direction, Lillard could eventually have another shot at winning his first championship. He’s healthy. He’s with his three children, whom he deeply missed when he was in Milwaukee. He’s happy. And he’s looking like himself on the court.
So, when Dame Time struck Tuesday, it was as though no time had passed.
But for Lillard, it was a reminder of just how far he has come.
And he believes this is just the beginning.
“It’s not like I was looking forward to a Dame Time moment,” Lillard told The Post. “I’m prepared. I’m prepared to do what I’ve got to do. I just want to keep building. I know those moments are going to come. I know those opportunities are going to come. It’s just a matter of me being ready for it.”
