Damian Lillard sees Trail Blazers' rebuild as one more challenge to overcome

LAS VEGAS – Damian Lillard overcame growing up in a tough East Oakland neighborhood. He was largely overlooked during college recruiting before playing for mid-major Weber State and eventually becoming an NBA star. No matter the odds, the two-time All-Star always seems to figure out a way to succeed.

And now with All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge and three other starters gone from the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard faces another challenge: leading the franchise during its rebuilding process.

"Everything has worked in my favor. I had all these great experiences and accomplished so much in three seasons and now your team takes a step back," Lillard told Yahoo Sports at the NBA's Las Vegas summer league. "And now it kind of knocks you back to square one. Now people are saying, 'His team is terrible.'

"Everybody is saying things like that. It puts me back to my natural habitat where I got to prove that we're better than that. We can accomplish more than people might think."

The Trail Blazers won 51 games and the Northwest Division last season, but lost in the first round of the playoffs. Throughout the postseason, there was plenty of speculation that Aldridge could leave during free agency. He did just that signing a four-year, $80 million deal with the Spurs to join a championship-caliber team led by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Kawhi Leonard and coach Gregg Popovich. Aldridge turned down an extra contract year to depart from the Blazers.

Aldridge told Lillard he was leaving Portland before his final decision to sign with San Antonio became public.

"We basically exchanged texts about how much admiration we have for each other," said Lillard, who signed a five-year, $120 million extension with the Blazers this week. "That change wasn't about me. I did express that I wanted him to be back. I told him I respected his decision. I respected that he told me before the news broke and I saw it on TV."

Was there anything more that Lillard or the Blazers could have done to keep Aldridge?

"I'm not sure there is," Lillard said. "I think he needed a change and wanted to go some place where he felt he had a better chance to win."

Aldridge is one of four Blazers starters to leave this offseason. Portland traded small forward Nicolas Batum to the Charlotte Hornets and lost center Robin Lopez to the New York Knicks and guard Wesley Matthews to the Dallas Mavericks in free agency. Reserve guard Steve Blake was traded to the Brooklyn Nets and guard Arron Afflalo signed with the Knicks. Lillard is the only returning player among the Blazers' top six scorers last season.

The Blazers acquired young big men Mason Plumlee and Noah Vonleh via trade, signed veteran forwards Al-Farouq Aminu and Ed Davis, traded for swingman Gerald Henderson and acquired the draft rights to Notre Dame shooter Pat Connaughton. The Blazers have some young returning talent in guard C.J. McCollum, center Meyers Leonard and guard Allen Crabbe. The only player on the roster over 28 years old is veteran center Chris Kaman, who is 33.

"We're a young team," Lillard said. "There are going to be ups and downs. But I'm not giving up on anything. I don't doubt that we can still compete. We got a lot of young athletes. I don't feel like it's going to be me up there. I feel like we got guys capable of stepping up and doing more than they've done in the past.

"I don't know how long it will take. I'm committed to the next six years to try to turn this around."

Lillard has noticed plenty of people on social media disparaging the Blazers' roster.

"I've been reading. Everything I worked for or received, nothing has been handed to me," Lillard said. "I could take comfort in knowing that everything that happened isn't by luck. It's me working hard and me going after things, making it happen. Being doubted is not unfamiliar territory to me."

With a new contract in hand, Lillard knows there will be pressure on him to lead the Blazers during their rebuilding. He said he never considered the possibility of attempting to leave Portland.

"Nope. I didn't have a reason to," Lilllard said. "I'm fully committed to playing in Portland. I'm committed to my teammates. I had no reason to wait. Not that it was about the money, but I'm not going to get any more money [later] than what I would get now. And what better way to show that commitment than doing that."

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