LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard enjoyed some success together with the Portland Trail Blazers, but their time together didn't last all that long and didn't end on the best terms. After three seasons as teammates, Aldridge left Portland to sign with the San Antonio Spurs in 2015.
Looking back, Aldridge has one major regret about how things ended for him in Portland: He wishes he would have worked harder to build a better relationship with Dame.
Via The Athletic's Shams Charania:
They say hindsight is 20/20. As you get older you get more wiser and you see things more clear. I think as you get older, you have less of an ego, you’re less sensitive. Maybe all those things are true. The only thing I look back on is I wish I would have worked at it better to have a relationship with Dame (Lillard). I feel like we both had our circles talking to us. Maybe that helped stifle our relationship, but we definitely have gotten a better relationship since then. But I think just trying to get a better relationship with him. It’s just tough because people see the career I had, but people don’t realize how I got there.
The former Blazers big man reiterated the point later in the interview:
I just feel like I wish Dame and I would’ve talked more and tried to develop a better relationship. Part of it was he was young, trying to find his way, and I had worked so hard to get to this spot I was at. I wish I would have worked harder … the only regret I have is I wish I would have worked harder to have a relationship with Dame.
The Blazers went to the playoffs in two out of the three seasons Aldridge and Lillard played together. Portland went to the second round in 2014 after winning 54 games in the regular season, only to lose to the Spurs in five games. The team then suffered a disappointing five-game defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round in 2015 after winning 51 regular-season games, resulting in Aldridge's exit.
Who knows what would have happened if Aldridge and Lillard worked things out. The Blazers have been a consistent playoff team with Lillard, but they've never gone past the Western Conference Finals. All we can do is wonder what could have been if they stayed together.
With Aldridge retired, the two will never get the chance to play with each other again.
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