Episode 9: Damian Lillard is recognizable again

For much of the summer, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard seemed unhappy. The Blazers were bounced early from the playoffs, Portland fired its coach and throughout the summer the 31-year-old guard and his NBA future were under the microscope. “It was a really odd thing for everyone, including Dame because he’s usually so positive and inspiring and this was a different side of Damian that a lot of people hadn’t seen,” Quick said on this week’s I-5 Corridor podcast. Yet as the Blazers began practice this week, The Athletic’s Jason Quick noticed something surprising. Lillard was happy, and Quick hasn’t been this energized to cover a season in years. Listen above, or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to learn more about Lillard and the kind-of-new-look Blazers. If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories — like Tuesday’s look at the numbers behind Oregon’s 4-0 start — and premium podcast episodes — like Thursday’s episode with Corey Brock previewing the Mariners’ playoff push — you can do so by clicking the button below.Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.Podcast music by John Budnik Band. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com