The author Thomas Wolfe once wrote a novel called You Can’t Go Home Again. Since then, that phrase has entered the lexicon to take on a life of its own, but as Damian Lillard recently proved, it’s not necessarily always true.
Advertisement
Dame signed a three-year, $42 million deal this past weekend to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, the franchise whose jersey he wore for the first 11 years of his career. That move came on the heels of the Milwaukee Bucks shocking the basketball world by waiving him and using the stretch provision on his old deal in order to sign Myles Turner and remain competitive.
Most people around the league seem to think the Bucks are crazy for pulling off such a risky maneuver in order to appease Giannis Antetokounmpo and keep him from requesting a trade. Dame was collateral damage, but at the end of the day it worked out, as after receiving offers from contenders such as the Celtics, Lakers and Warriors, he opted instead to go back to the Rose City.
Dwyane Wade spoke about Dame’s decision on yesterday’s episode of his Time Out podcast, and it’s safe to say that he’s a big fan of this reunion.
“If you’re a hoop fan, this story, it just feels good,” Wade said. “We’ve all had relationships where you and your significant other has broken up, and you get out there on them streets and you realize that it ain’t what it is. ‘I wanna come home baby. Baby, I wanna come home.'”
Wade spoke about how Dame and the Blazers weren’t on the same page when he left town a couple of years ago. He wanted a ring, but the Blazers were trying to rebuild, and those ideas couldn’t both exist at the same time. Most Blazers fans weren’t even mad about it, they understand and wished their favorite son well.
Obviously, pairing with Giannis in Milwaukee didn’t give Dame the fulfillment he was looking for, though bad luck was certainly a part of it. Giannis missed the playoffs last year with a strained calf, and then Dame went out with a torn Achilles this year. We never really got to see both of them together at the height of their powers, which is a shame.
That does nothing to diminish Dame’s legacy in Wade’s eyes, because legacy is about more than just how many rings a player wins. “Dame’s legacy in the NBA will be way bigger than a championship,” he said. “Dame, to me, is one of those players that if he never sniffs a championship, it doesn’t change the fact that Dame is a bad m*********** and his legacy in Portland is stamped.”
It speaks highly of Dame and the Blazers that they were able to put aside their past differences and come back together. It does make sense from a basketball perspective, as Dame can provide Chauncey Billups with shooting and scoring, while the Blazers’ young core proved late last year that they’re capable of being a special defense
The two can really complement one another, and Dame can help mentor this young generation, further cementing his legacy in the process.
The move also makes sense from a happiness perspective. Dame is back close to his kids again, and Blazers fans again get to cheer for the best player in franchise history. This is a win all around in a way that it wouldn’t have been if he had chosen to go to Boston, L.A. or Golden State.
It will take time for Dame to rehab his Achilles and get back on the court, but it’s a win for Dame, the Blazers and the NBA that when he does, he’ll be back home. The first time he taps his wrist in front of a sold-out Moda Center crowd is going to be special.
