"I grew up in the hood" - Damian Lillard once revealed how his difficult environment growing up toughened him up as an adult

Damian Lillard had an inspiring journey to reach the level they are at now. The former Milwaukee Bucks guard was born and raised in the eastern part of Oakland, California. He belonged to a neighbourhood that was not the best when it came to raising children.

After winning the Rookie of the Year, the Oakland native was interviewed by Matt Moore in Oct. 2013. During a segment of the session, the journalist asked Lillard to describe his background.

"I grew up in the hood. I guess you'd call it. And it was tough for me growing up," Lillard said. "I was exposed to everything. Gangs, drugs, violence, it was right there. It was right there my whole life and it was something I had to get past. Because I knew a lot of people who played basketball just like me but they were involved in all those things.

"It was a challenge just for me to stick to what I wanted to do instead of falling off course."

Since that interview, Damian Lillard has come a long way in his career. From being the Rookie of the Year to a nine-time All-Star and a one-time NBA Cup champion. However, Dame Time is yet to clock in during an NBA Final as Lillard looks forward to chasing a ring with the Blazers again in the future.

Damian Lillard returns to the Portland Trail Blazers after getting waived by the Bucks in a surprise move

Damian Lillard's move to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023 surprised many fans. However, it can be argued that the nine-time All-Star getting waived by the Bucks on Jul. 7 was even more surprising.

Lillard had a good partnership going with the Bucks, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo, during his two-season stint in Milwaukee.

However, he suffered a devastating tear in his left Achilles tendon in May. This injury has potentially ruled out the nine-time All-Star for the 2025-26 season, and the Bucks did not want to take their chances on Dame's return.

So they waived him and stretched the remaining $113 million on his contract to payments over the next five years. The Bucks made this move to bring in Myles Turner as the team's new center.

Dame is returning to Portland to play for the team that drafted him. According to ESPN, the nine-time All-Star is signing a three-year, $42 million contract with a player option in the 2027-28 season and a no-trade clause.