Portland Trail Blazers · Franchise era 6 of 7
Lillard Time: the Portland Trail Blazers story
Franchise era
2012–13—2020–21
Lillard Time
Portland Trail Blazers
The story in one sentence
Lillard became the franchise's defining modern player and led eight straight playoff teams, including the 2019 conference finalists.
01
Range, loyalty and two series-ending shots
02
Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and LaMarcus Aldridge gave the era its recognizable core.
03
Its ending created the conditions for the next rebuild.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2012–13
What came before
Roy restored the bond between team and city, but devastating knee injuries to him and Oden erased the young core's ceiling.
2016
Western Conference Semifinals: Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors
2019
Western Conference Semifinals: Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets
2019
Western Conference Finals: Portland Trail Blazers vs Golden State Warriors
After 2020–21
What came next
Portland eventually traded its longtime star and turned toward a young, athletic backcourt and patient asset accumulation.
The core