Inside the excitement and uncertainty as NBA players return to facilities

DAMIAN LILLARD HAS never entered the Portland Trail Blazers' training center through the media entrance, but there's nothing natural about May 8, the first time he walks into the facility since the NBA shuttered it March 20 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Wearing a mask, Lillard steps into a makeshift check-in area, where a member of the health and performance staff aims a no-touch, infrared thermometer to check his temperature. Next, Lillard empties his pockets -- phone, car keys, wallet -- and places them into a ziplock bag. He then washes his hands in the media bathroom, after which he is presented with a pair of rubber gloves. The whole process feels more like getting prepped for…