As the undisputed leader of the team, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has taken it upon himself to take the Blazers’ most recent addition, big man Jusuf Nurkic, under his wing.

According to Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest, Lillard is using the experience of the shortcomings in his relationship with former Blazers star LaMarcus Aldridge to better shape his bond with the Bosnian product.

“Me and LaMarcus had a good relationship. We never had a single argument. We really got along,’’ Lillard said. “I’m just saying the stuff I want to go out of my way to do for (Nurkic), is the stuff I wish I got from LaMarcus.’’

“It wasn’t his personality (to reach out),’’ Lillard said. “But as a younger player, I came into the league wishing … and thinking he was going to take me under his wing, like his lil’ bro.”

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Apart from not being the type to openly reach out, Aldridge also had a somewhat antagonistic view of Lillard’s emergence as the team’s new star and was a factor in his departure from Portland. That likely won’t be much of a factor in Lillard’s budding relationship with Nurkic.

Lillard and Nurkic are potentially two of the Blazers’ key pieces for many years to come. It should bode well for the team’s future that two of their big stars continue to build a strong relationship, one that’s much stronger than the one that came before because of Lillard's leadership.