Pioneer Square is becoming Dame Square. At least for an afternoon. <\/p>\n
The Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> are celebrating the return of All-Star point guard Damian Lillard<\/a> in grand fashion \u2014 with a Sunday rally in downtown Portland. <\/p>\n The event, scheduled for Sept. 21, will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at Pioneer Courthouse Square and is open to the public.<\/p>\n It will include a question-and-answer session with Lillard, an \u201chomage to his impact\u201d on the Blazers and the Portland area and a family-friendly street fair, complete with food, music, games and giveaways.<\/p>\n The Blazers selected Lillard with the No. 6 overall pick <\/a>of the 2012 NBA draft and he played his first 11 seasons in Portland, earning Rookie of the Year honors<\/a> and nine All-Star berths. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023, departing as the franchise leader in multiple statistical categories, including points (19,376), three-pointers (2,387) and scoring average (25.2 points per game).<\/p>\n But Lillard suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in an Eastern Conference playoff game in April and the Bucks waived him in July, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. Lillard elected to return to the Blazers, signing a multi-year contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n He\u2019s expected to miss the 2025-26 season while rehabilitating his injury, but his return to Rip City was a boon for a rebuilding organization that has not reached the playoffs since 2021. <\/p>\n \u2014 Joe Freeman<\/a> is a senior writer at The Oregonian\/OregonLive covering the Trail Blazers and NBA. Reach him at 503-294-5183, jfreeman@oregonian.com<\/a>, @BlazerFreeman<\/a> or @freemanjoe.bsky.social<\/a>. <\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n