Lillard will address the crowd and hold a short Q&A with a team representative. The rally will also feature a street fair with food, music and games, the team said.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers will hold a fan rally in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square on Sunday to prepare for the start of the upcoming season and celebrate the return of star guard Damian Lillard, who is back in Rip City after two years playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The rally runs from noon to 2 p.m. and will be open to the public, featuring a street fair with Blazer booths, as well as food, music, games and fan-focused activities, according to a news release from the team. Lillard will be a special guest at the event and will address the crowd and hold a short Q&A with a Trail Blazers representative.
Opening night for the Blazers’ 2025-26 season is Oct. 22, where the team will host the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Moda Center. Lillard himself won’t be on the court for a while; he’ll spend the season rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon before returning to the active roster next year.
Lillard, 35, is the Blazers’ all-time leading scorer, averaging 25.2 points, 6.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game during his first 11 seasons with the team. He’s also a nine-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, All-Star Game MVP, Olympic gold medalist, former Rookie of the Year and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
He requested a trade in July 2023 and was ultimately sent to the Bucks in a three-team deal that also sent former Blazers players Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson to the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks waived Lillard in July, and a few weeks later, he signed a three-year, $42 million contract to return to Portland.