The most electrifying sequence of Portland Trail Blazers Fan Fest happened in the opening minutes of the team’s intrasquad scrimmage on Sunday. It involved the Blazers’ biggest attractions heading into the 2026-27 NBA season: Damian Lillard and Ja Morant.
First, Morant scored his first points for the Blazers Black Team with a 360-spin reverse layup that elicited awe from the Moda Center crowd. Next, Lillard followed the aerial act with back-to-back 3-pointers to get his first buckets for the Blazers Grey
Team.
“From Klamath Falls!!” Blazers Public Address announcer Mark Mason shouted after Lillard connected on the second triple from especially far, giving everybody in the building fond flashbacks.
If you were hoping to get a hard-boiled look at the Trail Blazers from their team scrimmage at Fan Fest, you didn’t get it. The free fan event predictably carried the air of the NBA All-Star Game, featuring lots of turnovers, jacked-up 3-pointers in transition, ill-fated alley-oop attempts and little defense. The day was much less about X’s and O’s execution, and much more about moments and personality.
That early sequence — displaying Morant’s acrobatic rim pressure and Lillard’s elite marksmanship — was a moment telling of the excitement that could be coming to Rip City this season. The raucous reaction from the crowd also illustrated the fanfare surrounding Portland’s new backcourt partnership between two of the NBA’s biggest celebrities and signature shoe-sellers. Fan Fest was all about drumming up that fanfare as the Blazers officially unveiled the Lillard/Morant duo in front of the Moda Center crowd for the first time.
“I’m glad we do this before the season because I got [the nerves] out of running out in front of fans,” Morant told reporters on the court after the event. “I honestly didn’t expect it to be this packed, but the love was good.”
The Blazers kicked off Fan Fest with one-by-one introductions of each player on the roster, saving Morant and Lillard for last. Lillard, the franchise legend, closed it out by receiving the loudest shrieks from the building. But Morant, walking out directly before him, elicited arguably the second-loudest fan welcome.
“Everybody was loud; I’m definitely glad I went before Dame,” Morant said with a smile.
At the first-quarter break, Morant talked with Blazers sideline reporter Brooke Olzendam and excited the crowd just with his words. “I’m back dunking again,” said Morant, adding that he’s happy to be on Lillard’s side this season rather than against him for a change.
At the second-quarter break, it was Lillard’s turn for a sideline interview with Olzendam, and he agreed with Morant’s perspective:
“I’m excited to be on the same side as him,” Lillard told Olzendam, as the interview played on the Jumbotron. “I think a dynamic guard like that is gonna require a lot of attention, just like I’m gonna require a lot of attention, and the same with Deni [Avdija]. So we’re gonna be trouble for a lot of teams.”
While Lillard hit some more 3-pointers after that great opening sequence, Morant turned out to be the biggest star of Fan Fest. In the third quarter, he finished an alley oop from forward Jayson Kent with a reverse dunk that got the two-time All-Star dancing. Then, poetically, the Blazers’ most anticipated offseason acquisition made the game-winning shot — in an unusual fashion.
With the score tied at 96-96 at the end of regulation, Blazers head coach Micah Nori explained to the crowd that both teams would alternate shooting half court shots. The first team to make the shot without the other team matching would be the winner.
After a few tries and misses from both sides — including a miss from Lillard — Morant stepped up to the plate. He launched the shot from off two feet and splashed it through the net to win it for the Black Team. Then he sprinted around the floor, celebrating with teammates and high-fiving fans along the baseline. Morant also busted out his signature “Call Me” celebration in the game-winner’s aftermath, the one in which he pantomimes holding an imaginary telephone to his ear.
The game-winning shot, plus Morant’s other contributions during the scrimmage, led to him winning the fan-voted Fan Fest MVP award.
“It’s up there with the All-Star [selections] because this is my first time ever having a Fan Fest MVP, so that’s definitely special,” Morant said about the honor. “ … I feel like today was definitely a big day for us, the start of something good, and I feel like everything about today has been perfect.”
Following the postgame interview, Morant exited down the tunnel back toward the Blazers locker room. But before he could get there, he took a minute to sign autographs for the frenzy of fans hanging over the railing, holding out jerseys and sneakers as they yelled the star’s name. One fan from a faraway section even launched a red long-sleeve shirt toward Morant as he walked by — a Hail-Mary attempt to get a signature that came up way short, landing in a security guard’s unenthused grasp instead.
Judging by that final scene and the buzz Morant’s Fan Fest appearance carried on social media, it’s safe to say Ja Mania is here, folks.
