Monday marked the return of Portland’s favorite son, as Lillard met with the media to discuss an earlier-than-anticipated homecoming. Last week, the nine-time All-Star announced he was returning to the Rose City two years after requesting a trade that took him 2,000 miles from the only NBA home he’d ever known.

The Celtics were reportedly one of the finalists for free agent star Damian Lillard before he opted to rejoin the Portland Trail Blazers last week on a three-year deal worth $42 million. However, some new comments from Lillard indicate that Boston may never have had much of a chance after all to land the 35-year-old.