PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Hundreds of fans packed Pioneer Courthouse Square Sunday as the Portland Trail Blazers hosted a special rally to celebrate the return of franchise legend Damian Lillard and to kick off excitement for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season.
The event, free and open to the public, transformed downtown Portland into a Blazer-themed street fair complete with games, music, food, giveaways, and interactive booths.
The seven-time All-Star reflected on his years in Portland, his connection with the city, and took part in a short Q&A session.
The rally highlighted both Lillard’s enduring impact on Rip City and the importance of the Trail Blazers as a unifying force in the community.
Fans cheered loudly as the celebration doubled as a countdown to Opening Night, when Portland tips off the regular season against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Moda Center on Oct. 22.
The Trail Blazers’ 2025-26 schedule features eight nationally televised games — seven on NBC/Peacock and one on Amazon Prime Video. Locally, fans can watch on KUNP/KATU and BlazerVision.
This season, Portland will play three five-game road trips, two five-game homestands, and four separate three-game road swings.
The team also looks ahead to the Emirates NBA Cup, beginning Oct. 31 at home against the Denver Nuggets.
Group play continues Nov. 14 in Houston, Nov. 21 at Golden State, and wraps up Nov. 26 at Moda Center against San Antonio.
The regular season closes April 12 with a home matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
With Damian Lillard back in Rip City and the new season fast approaching, today’s rally made one thing clear: Portland is ready to rise again.