Lillard officially makes his debut with the Trail Blazers! Confident in returning to his peak, he is playfully dubbed the most expensive assistant coach by head coach Stotts.

On July 22, Beijing time, the Trail Blazers held a press conference to officially welcome the veteran back to the team. Before the conference began, Lillard raised his familiar number 0 jersey and took a photo with general manager Cronin and head coach Billups.

Cronin said, “Seeing Lillard in another team's jersey just feels wrong. We are excited to bring him back to Portland. When we learned that Lillard wanted to leave the Bucks, everything progressed smoothly. Chauncey (Billups) and I met with him a few times, and we knew our goals were very similar.”

“He will return to his previous level; anyone who knows him understands that,”Billups then joked about Lillard, “This year, he will be the highest-paid ‘assistant coach’ in history. I’ll make sure he has something to do every day.”

Lillard responded, “As Chauncey said, I will be an ‘assistant coach.’ My commitment to the team will remain as strong as ever.”

Lillard continued, “This injury was quite tricky. But for me personally, I know how to handle the entire rehabilitation process; I will take my time.I believe I can return to peak form; this is my sincere belief.To make this possible, we all need to reach a consensus. For me, not playing for my hometown team always feels off. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to come back here, even though I am still dealing with an injury.”

Lillard stated that after his Achilles tear, he spoke with Allen Rodgers, Kevin Durant, and Rudy Gay to learn how they managed their rehabilitation periods.“If this is a psychological battle, I won’t lose. If it’s a physical contest, I might be at a disadvantage. But in terms of mental struggles, I have never lost.”

Previous reports indicated that Lillard’s decision to return to the Trail Blazers was significantly influenced by his desire to live in Portland with his children. “This is significant—these are my kids. It makes everything sweeter. Even when I’m not around, I’ve created an environment to spend as much time with them as possible. Everyone knows I’m a family man—having kids only amplifies that. It makes everything better. But regarding basketball and the goals I want to achieve as a player for the Trail Blazers, I feel I have the chance to be closer to my kids again.” Lillard also mentioned that he wouldn’t force his children to play basketball and wouldn’t take on the role of a father-coach hybrid.

“Many people might think this is a family decision; clearly, anyone making a decision considers their family. But this is also a basketball decision. Look at the current league… those young teams that excel in defense, competitiveness, and team cohesion—this Trail Blazers team embodies those traits. It feels like the perfect opportunity.”

Regarding becoming a symbolic figure for the Trail Blazers, Lillard said, “Portland means a lot to me. I don’t have to do anything deliberately to maintain that connection; it all comes from the heart. I never need to force it.”

Billups also hopes young players can learn from Lillard. “I want to see Scoot (Henderson) and Shaedon (Sharpe) make progress this year. I train these players very hard, but it always feels different when you receive guidance from a player in uniform.”

Lillard also acknowledged that he and Cronin had issues in the past.“In the end, there were many misunderstandings and communication breakdowns between us. When these situations occur, it’s inevitable that feelings get hurt. Joe and I never sat down to properly discuss these issues; we just let the problems linger, which was our mistake.”

Talking about the embrace upon his return, Lillard said, “This is significant. It’s something I never wanted to happen from the start. Once I knew I was traded, it was hard to let go. That was a tough time. I think throughout my career, all the fans and the community knew this was heartfelt. So when I announced my return, I was incredibly excited. It was so important. I feel that as a man, being embraced like this—means everything.”