Damian Lillard's Reception in Return to Portland Praised by NBA Fans in Bucks-Blazers

Damian Lillard is Portland Trail Blazers royalty after his excellent 11-year run with the franchise before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.

So it was only fitting that he was treated like such upon his return on Wednesday night during a matchup between the teams in Portland.

First, there was a tribute video for Dame that touched upon his top moments with the franchise:

After that video, the fans responded with a one-minute standing ovation:

It was an incredibly warm moment, and fans and pundits were genuinely pleased to see Dame welcomed back with open arms from the city of Portland:

The game almost felt like an afterthought—this was all about an athlete reuniting with the fan base that loved him like no other, and the memories they shared together:

Maybe in the age of Internet snark—where earnestness is treated like the worst possible crime—it felt a little over-the-top to outsiders, but the reality is that it was all genuine, on both sides. There was nothing contrived about Wednesday night—the affection was real.

Lillard even told reporters before the game that he could see himself eventually finishing his career with the Blazers.

"Because of how I feel about Portland," he said. "How I feel about the organization here and my time that I spent here, in my mind I've always felt like that's how my career would end."

"Right now, I'm just in a space of like, this is where I am now," he continued. "I'm in Milwaukee. I wanted the opportunity to contend and our team has an opportunity to contend for this year and years to come and I'm just living in that. But I definitely, when I was traded, I see a day where I'll be in a Trail Blazer uniform again before I'm done."

Based on his reception Wednesday night, nothing would make Blazers' fans happier than to see him someday wear their uniform one last time.