Damian Lillard Thanks Blazers, Fans After Bucks Trade: 'Dame Time Has Run Out'

Damian Lillard said his public goodbye to Portland Thursday night.

"Dame Time has run out," the former Trail Blazers guard wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday after 11 seasons with the Blazers. He requested a trade from the team in July.

"I must admit it does make me sad to see some people cross over and appear as my opposition in the wake of me asking to be traded without knowing the facts," Lillard wrote.

Lillard told Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes Wednesday that things "behind the scenes definitely left a sour taste in my mouth" following his trade request.

"But it doesn't change the amazing experiences I've had with the Trail Blazers and this city," Lillard told Haynes. "I'll always cherish this place. This is my home. I'll always live here regardless."

Lillard said he told general manager Joe Cronin he would prefer to remain with the Blazers if they couldn't complete a deal with his preferred trade destination of the Miami Heat, and Cronin told him "there was no coming back," Haynes reported.

"Lillard was shocked, sources said," Haynes wrote. "He said it was discouraging to hear he couldn't return, but added that he didn't want to be somewhere he wasn't wanted, and he ended the meeting."

In his farewell message, Lillard wrote that he had "always prayed" his time with the Blazers "would lead to retirement—not another team."

"I leave with nothing but love for the fans and this city," Lillard wrote. "That will never change."

Lillard's message, which did not mention Cronin, included messages of gratitude to multiple members of the Blazers organization, including chair Jody Allen, former general manager Neil Olshey and head coach Chauncey Billups, who has coached the team for the past two seasons.

Lillard also sent a shoutout to Anfernee Simons, a teammate of five seasons who is fresh out of his breakout 21.1 point-per-game 2022-23 campaign with the Blazers.

"He hates when I say it, but I truly believe in you man," Lillard wrote to Simons. "I saw it from the jump. It's not so much the gifts you have from God and pure talent but the person you are that gave me true confidence in what you could become in this league. I'm excited to see you become it."

Lillard finished his goodbye by saying he believes "a day will come where I put a Blazers uniform on again."

"Hopefully by then I'll be forgiven for breaking your hearts along with my own," Lillard wrote.