<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-damian-lillard-life-changing-experience-big-move-off-court');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Damian Lillard shares ‘life-changing experience’ amid big move off the court');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Damian-Lillard-shares-life-changing-experience-amid-big-move-off-the-court.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Blazers’ Damian Lillard shares ‘life-changing experience’ amid big move off the court</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-25T20:46:14-08:00">November 25th, 8:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-25T20:46:14-08:00">November 25th, 8:46pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard may be sidelined due to an Achilles injury, but he has made sure to remain productive, especially when it comes to making an impact in the community.</p><p>In February, he launched the Damian Lillard Scholars Program to help high school students in the Bay Area get into Portland State University. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/athletics/athletics-news-damian-lillard-celebrities-leaving-oakland">Lillard grew up in Oakland</a> and has always given back to his hometown.</p><p>It was only appropriate that <a href="https://www.kptv.com/2025/11/25/trail-blazers-star-damian-lillard-creates-pathway-portland-state-oakland-area-students/" rel="noopener">the first recipient</a> of Lillard’s charity, Kayla Sisavat, is from Oakland as well, according to a report from KPTV’s Anna Katayama. Sisavat will receive $25,000 annually for her four-year college education.</p><p>The 35-year-old Lillard, who grew up in a rough neighborhood, <a href="https://x.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1993511141071597908" rel="noopener">acknowledged the mark</a> he can leave on society, drawing from his own experience.</p><p>“Earning a scholarship to attend college out of state was a life-changing experience for me. I’m honored to be able to help deserving students from my hometown have similar experiences,” wrote the nine-time All-Star on X.</p><p>Lillard wasn’t highly recruited out of high school. He earned a scholarship at Weber State, where he blossomed into a star. He eventually grabbed the attention of the NBA and was drafted by the Trail Blazers as the sixth overall pick in 2012.</p><p>While he left college early, he returned to Weber State for several summers to take up classes. In 2015, he completed his bachelor’s degree in professional sales and even joined the commencement exercises.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/trail-blazers-news-cj-mccollum-perfect-reaction-damian-lillard-portland-reunion">Lillard’s return to Rip City in the offseason</a> was warmly welcomed by fans. He will forever be a legend in Portland—even more so with his continued philanthropy. Truly, Dame Time is undefeated.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Damian Lillard shares ‘life-changing experience’ amid big move off the court

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-watch-milwaukees-touching-video-tribute-to-damian-lillard');   ga('set', 'title', 'Watch Bucks’ touching video tribute to Damian Lillard');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Bucks-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-hugs-Blazers-Damian-Lillard.jpg"><figcaption>© Dale Zanine-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Watch Bucks’ touching video tribute to Damian Lillard</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-24T20:01:56-08:00">November 24th, 8:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-24T20:01:56-08:00">November 24th, 8:01pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>This past offseason, the Milwaukee Bucks overhauled their roster, choosing to pivot in the aftermath of Damian Lillard’s disastrous Achilles tear. Always on a timer especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo set to enter free agency in 2027, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-milwaukee-damian-lillard-most-shocking-offseason-decision">Bucks decided to move on from Lillard</a>, waiving and stretching the hundreds of millions left on his contract, so they could have the requisite space to bring in Myles Turner to try and remain semi-competitive.</p><p>This paved the way for Lillard to return to his former team and longtime home Portland Trail Blazers in free agency. And on Monday night, Lillard returned to Fiserv Forum for the first time since being waived by the Bucks, with the Blazers visiting. And the Bucks, even though Lillard only played two seasons for the team, gave him a tribute video <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1993129794637336644" rel="noopener">thanking him</a> for all his contributions as they tried to fight for a title in the Cream City.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Bucks tribute video for Damian Lillard ⌚</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a>)<br> <a href="https://t.co/RxtcMhiFqI">pic.twitter.com/RxtcMhiFqI</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1993129794637336644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It’s safe to say that the Bucks’ gambit for Lillard did not work out. They traded away Jrue Holiday in the Lillard deal, and this eventually paved the way for Holiday to join the Boston Celtics, the team that won a title in 2024. Meanwhile, the Bucks lost in the first round in both of their playoff runs with Lillard on the team.</p><p>But at the end of the day, the Bucks deserve credit for throwing caution to the wind and going for it. It was just a shame that the Lillard-Antetokounmpo pairing did not work out.</p><h2><b>Bucks are reeling amid Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Bucks-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-8.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Bucks are more reliant on Antetokounmpo than ever now that their key shot creators in the past, Lillard, Holiday, and Khris Middleton, are all gone. Ryan Rollins has emerged as a long-term keeper for Milwaukee, but the team around them hasn’t been great. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-gets-initial-return-timeline-after-groin-injury">Antetokounmpo nursing a groin injury,</a> the Bucks have struggled, and they’ve now lost five straight after taking a 115-103 loss to the Blazers on Monday.</p><p>Antetokounmpo will have to return soonest; the Bucks are now below .500, and considering how dire their cap and draft pick situations are, they’re going to have to win at all costs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Watch Bucks’ touching video tribute to Damian Lillard

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-damian-lillard-fun-moment-bucks-blazers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard share fun moment before Bucks-Blazers game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMG_0342.jpeg"><figcaption>Michael McLoone-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard share fun moment before Bucks-Blazers game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-24T17:15:05-08:00">November 24th, 5:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-24T17:15:05-08:00">November 24th, 5:15pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard might not be teammates anymore, but there is still a great deal of respect between the two. The Portland Trail Blazers were set to face off against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1993106455688552712" rel="noopener">shared a fun moment</a> between former teammates before the game began.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard having some fun pregame  🔥</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Bucks</a>)<a href="https://t.co/AqHfUsNdEa">pic.twitter.com/AqHfUsNdEa</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1993106455688552712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-6-1-million-buyout-damian-lillard-waiver-clear-way-myles-turner">Bucks made the decision to part ways with Damian Lillard</a> this past offseason when they waived and stretched his contract. The move was done in part to make room for Myles Turner whom the Bucks pried away from conference rival, the Indiana Pacers, in free agency. Before that, Lillard played two seasons with the Bucks alongside Giannis.</p><p>Lillard was an All-Star during his two seasons in Milwaukee, but the Bucks were never able to make a sustained playoff run due to injuries and inconsistency. Both Antetokounmpo and Lillard battled injuries during the Bucks’ opening round playoff series against the Pacers in 2024. Lillard then suffered an Achilles injury in the 2025 playoffs, which has kept him sidelined this season as he rejoined the Blazers via free agency.</p><p>The Blazers are currently 7-10 and in ninth place in the Western Conference standings while the Bucks are 8-9 and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-giannis-antetokounmpo-gets-initial-return-timeline-after-groin-injury">Antetokounmpo is presently sidelined due to a groin injury</a>. He’s appeared in 13 games so far, at a little over 31 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.2 blocked shots with splits of 62.9 percent shooting from the field, 50 percent shooting from he 3-point line and 63.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard share fun moment before Bucks-Blazers game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/portland-trail-blazers/exclusive-jrue-holiday-reveals-damian-lillard-helping-blazers-season-long-injury-absence');   ga('set', 'title', 'Exclusive: Jrue Holiday reveals how Damian Lillard is helping Blazers despite season-long injury absence');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Jrue-Holiday-reveals-how-Damian-Lillard-is-helping-Blazers-despite-season-long-injury-abesnce.jpg"></figure><h1>Exclusive: Jrue Holiday reveals how Damian Lillard is helping Blazers despite season-long injury absence</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-24T12:30:47-08:00">November 24th, 12:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-24T12:30:47-08:00">November 24th, 12:30pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>OKLAHOMA CITY — Despite the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-jrue-holiday-shaedon-sharpe-jerami-grant-injury-updates-nba-cup-game-warriors">list of injures that’s plagued the Portland Blazers</a> — headlined by Damian Lillard’s season-long recovery — veteran Jrue Holiday sees a team on a path toward success. Following a 122-95 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team the Blazers beat on November 5, handing the defending champion its only loss of the season, Holiday revealed the luxury of having Lillard on his team.</p><p>For Jrue, it’s led to in-depth conversations, as Lillard, although inactive, still makes his presence felt, which, Holiday says, resonates throughout the team.</p><p>“We played in the Olympics together. I used to be with Adidas. So, we’ve done some stuff together with that,” Holiday tells ClutchPoints. “So, I’ve known him for a long time. Just his knowlege of the game, experiences that he’s been through, even what he’s passing onto me and the rest of the team as we’re playing even though he’s sidelined, has been invaluable.”</p><p>Amid Lillard’s season-long recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, Holiday and the Blazers’ win against the Thunder in early November, topped a 5-3 start to the regular season. Deni Avdija is leading the team in scoring with 25.1 points per game, Shaedon Sharpe (22.6 points per game) isn’t far behind, and Toumani Camara is building off his All-Defensive Team campaign last season.</p><p>“I think we’re having a great season,” Holiday said. “For just intentions and how we are as a team, and our characteristics has been great. So, if we can stay healthy and get healthy, we’ll be even better.”</p><p>Holiday, who was sidelined with a calf injury for Sunday’s game, will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. Blazers’ Scoot Henderson, dealing with a hamstring injury, is expected to miss the next month, and Matisse Thybulle underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his left thumb. He will miss the next four to six weeks.</p><h2><b>Jrue Holiday reveals eye-opening text from Blazers’ Damian Lillard</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Blazers-guard-Damian-Lillard.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Blazers veterans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-jrue-holiday-reveals-eye-opening-damian-lillard-text-rejoining-portland">Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard kept in touch</a> via text throughout the summer before the 2025-26 season. Excited for a new chapter to their respective careers, Holiday says Lillard <a href="https://rg.org/news/basketball/jrue-holiday-on-desire-win-blazers-discussions-damian-lillard" rel="noopener">reached out to him</a> after Damian inked a new deal to return to the franchise he spent the first 11 years of his career playing for, per RG.com’s DJ Siddiqi.</p><p>“When he first re-signed with the team, [he] texting me, ‘Man, we really got a chance to be good,’” Holiday said.</p><p>While this past summer wasn’t the first time Holiday was traded to the Blazers, he was looking forward to his new tenure weeks before the regular season.</p><p>“I feel like winning and competing and showing these guys that have so much talent,” Holiday added. “I don’t think y’all understand like Scoot and Shaedon are so athletic and so smart the way that they play the game. They’re going to be so good, and I feel like all they need is time. I feel like the time is now, because they have all the tools. I’m super excited to play with them.”</p><p>The Blazers will face the Bucks on Monday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Exclusive: Jrue Holiday reveals how Damian Lillard is helping Blazers despite season-long injury absence

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-damian-lillard-has-eye-popping-workout-6-months-after-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Damian Lillard has eye-popping workout 6 months after surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Trail-Blazers-guard-Damian-Lillard-0-watches.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Blazers’ Damian Lillard has eye-popping workout 6 months after surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-04T18:50:19-08:00">November 4th, 6:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-04T18:50:19-08:00">November 4th, 6:50pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On the 27th of April, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-damian-lillard-confirms-achilles-injury-status-2025-26-season">Damian Lillard ruptured his Achilles</a> during the Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 4 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. An injury of that kind requires quite the lengthy recovery process, leading to an extended absence. This was something the Bucks could not afford, considering their draft-pick situation and their need to appease Giannis Antetokounmpo. This led to the eventual Lillard waive-and-stretch, which paved the way for the Portland Trail Blazers to bring back one of, if not outright the best player in franchise history.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/blazers-news-damian-lillard-reunites-with-fans-portland-rally">Blazers decided to use their available money</a> to bring Lillard in, which was a move that many fans appreciated even though the star point guard is unlikely to play, if at all, during the 2025-26 campaign. But there are plenty of promising signs that Lillard may not be that far off from an eventual return to game action.</p><p>On Monday night, following the Blazers’ 123-115 loss to the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers, Lillard was seen <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1985864524382011818" rel="noopener">putting in some reps</a> on the Moda Center floor. This is amazing to see when he’s only around sixth months removed from undergoing Achilles surgery.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Blazers' Damian Lillard just 6 months removed from Achilles surgery putting in work last night 👀</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/Victor_S7709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Victor_S7709</a>)<br> <a href="https://t.co/Qbr2KUCrgE">pic.twitter.com/Qbr2KUCrgE</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1985864524382011818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Of course, no one should expect Lillard to be back in action for the Blazers anytime soon. They did not sign him with the expectation that he’d be making an impact right away anyway. But seeing Lillard move the way he did during this workout session should be encouraging for Blazers fans who want to see nothing less than a smooth return to play for the star point guard.</p><p>Lillard is the Blazers’ all-time leading scorer, with 19,376 points. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-damian-lillard-heat-trade-request-blazers">He requested a trade</a> in 2023 to try and compete for a championship, only to lose in the first round in consecutive seasons with the Bucks. Now, Lillard will be a part of the Blazers’ nascent core and when he returns, he will help boost their offense that ranks 15th at the moment.</p><h2><b>Damian Lillard should be a strong mentor for the Blazers’ young players</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Blazers-Damian-Lillard-poses-for-photo-during-media-day.jpg"><figcaption>Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Lillard may not be active on the court right now, but he still provides so much value for the Blazers. Portland has plenty of inexperienced players, with Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan all looking to lead the team, and Lillard’s voice should come in handy. Scoot Henderson should also learn a lot from Lillard.</p><p>The Blazers currently have a 4-3 record on the season, suggesting that they may not be too far off from making it to the playoffs, even in the loaded West.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Damian Lillard has eye-popping workout 6 months after surgery

James Harden

Kyrie Irving

Chris Paul

Carmelo Anthony

Damian Lillard

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Lonzo Ball

Dwight Howard

Paul George

Pau Gasol

4x All-NBA

5x All Star

2012-13 All-Rookie

5x All-NBA

2012-13 ROY

6x All Star

6x All-NBA

7x All Star

NBA 75th Anniv. Team

8x All Star

7x All-NBA

2023-24 AS MVP

9x All Star

Portland Trail Blazers

Milwaukee Bucks

Career

2 seasons

8 seasons

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1969121774114652609/

👀 Have License To Lillard coming back for the first time since 2013-14 later today.

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1945970090022973460/

RipCityyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!! @trailblazers 

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1796065790657200331/

If Frank don’t fall in one of Tank traps and get hurt early … I see a good long fight

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1795719398935998548/

Frank Martin a real threat. Idc what nobody say… this a very good fight…

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1793482036550017275/

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1791973238974951456/

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1791917304265179249/

Idk what that was from Frank Sanchez… he’s one of my favorites but he look like he just quit.  Maybe Knee?

https://twitter.com/Dame_Lillard/status/1791168368344707201/

Rollin’ like #Furiosa, call me Dame-mentus.

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2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.9	4.7	7.1	0.2	1.2

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
24.9	4.7	7.1	0.2	1.2

Damian
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