Damian Lillard has a lot of support from his family being back in Portland after spending the last two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.

He also has a lot of support from the sports community as he battles back from a devastating Achilles injury, which will likely keep him out all of next season.

The 35-year-old Lillard said he checked in with some of them, including former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as he continues his rehab as a member again of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Lillard was reintroduced to the Trail Blazers community during his introductory news conference July 21. He said after quickly coming to grips with the injury during the playoffs last season, Lillard noted that his mindset shifted to “what was coming” and “learning more about it.” This included talking to Rodgers.

Rodgers famously suffered a torn Achilles just four plays into the 2023 season during his much-anticipated first game with the New York Jets following 18 years in Green Bay. He went on to miss the rest of that season, but returned in 2024. Achilles injuries typically take a year to return from and, while Rodgers appeared to want to return in record fashion two years ago and be a medical case study, Lillard said he’s not going to rush the process.

“It’s a tough injury,” Lillard said. “Me, personally, I know how I’m going to approach the whole rehab. … I think I’m going to return to form. I think with this injury a lot of the people I spoke to … have shared a lot of information, a lot of it was encouraging for me.” He understands it’s going to be a slow process but will “check every box.”

In addition to Rodgers, Lillard also said he talked with two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant, now with the Houston Rockets, as well as former NBA player Rudy Gay, both of whom suffered ruptured Achilles injuries during their careers. Durant missed 18 months and Gay was out of action for about a year.

“Talking to Aaron Rodgers, KD (Kevin Durant) and Rudy Gay, all guys who experienced it and handled it differently,” Lillard said on learning from their recoveries.  

Damian Lillard injury

Lillard suffered the non-contact injury as he was going for a loose ball during the first quarter of Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum.

The nine-time NBA All-Star sat helplessly on the court. It would be the final moment he wore a Bucks jersey.

What was he thinking in that moment?

“After I tore my Achilles and I felt it and I was sitting on the floor, I grabbed it, I rolled over and the first thought I had was, ‘I’m about to come back from an Achilles,'” Lillard said.

Lillard wasn’t about to feel sorry for himself, either.

“We got to the back when the doctor said, ‘You tore your Achilles.’ I think everybody else had more pity than I did,” Lillard said. “I had the PTs about to cry. I didn’t cry. Even when I got by myself, I didn’t cry.

“And it wasn’t like a prideful thing. My mind went to like ‘I got to fight for something.'”

Lillard said he’s ready for the mental fight.

“I never had that moment of pity with none of my injuries but this one I know is probably my biggest of my career,” Lillard said. “It’s a mental battle. I don’t lose those. If it’s a mental battle, those battles, I don’t lose those. A mental battle I’m just not going to lose.”

Damian Lillard wants to mentor younger players

Lillard might be sidelined for much of or all of the next season, but that doesn’t mean he won’t play a significant role in Portland.

Blazers coach Chauncey Billups joked that Lillard will be the highest-paid “assistant coach” in league history next season.

Lillard said he’ll prove his investment in the team through his time and energy with the players.

And he’ll be doing it with a young team that he feels has a lot of potential. Mentoring, Lillard added, is something he didn’t get a chance to do with the Bucks.

“One thing that I missed over the last two years playing on an older team is I’m able to be more and give more when I have something to pour into when I’m able to be invested in others’ career,” Lillard said. “More being around younger players with this team, I’ll have plenty of opportunity to do that.”

Damian Lillard’s daughter has priceless reaction to her dad returning to Portland

He’ll also have an opportunity to be with his kids every day.

Lillard shared the story of telling his three young children that he was returning home to the Portland, where they live full time, to play for the Blazers again.

“They’re all old enough to pick up on it now, especially Dame Jr.,” Lillard said. Lillard said he informed his children about his basketball decision when they were driving.

“Got to a red light, turned around,” and told them and then his daughter blurted out, “Wait, we don’t have to get on an airplane to Milwaukee anymore?'”

“She was like, ‘What?’ They were all extremely excited.”

During his two years in Milwaukee, Lillard discussed the challenges in being away from his family.

Damian Lillard on returning to the Blazers

Lillard’s time in Milwaukee ended after just two seasons. He added two more All-Star appearances to his Hall of Fame résumé, won an All-Star 3-point championship and helped the Bucks win an NBA Cup title. But he also suffered some tough injuries, including the torn Achilles.

And the partnership officially ended last month when the Bucks waived him to make way for Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner. The Bucks will still pay him for the duration of his contract, stretching it over the next five seasons.

Lillard’s return to Portland, where he’s as beloved as they come, comes two years after he requested a trade from the team. He wanted an opportunity to compete for a championship at that time. But under new circumstances, Lillard is grateful to be back in the City of Roses, while also optimistic about the future of the team.

“It never felt right not being home,” Lillard said. “Through it all, I found my way back. I’m just excited and really thankful and appreciative the door being opened. I never not wanted to be playing for this organization. It all just feels right.”

Damian Lillard introductory press conference

Listen to Damian Lillard’s full press conference on July 21 after he was reintroduced as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Damian Lillard says he talked with Aaron Rodgers about Achilles injury