03 October 2023 , 17:52
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Damian Lillard spoke about his anticipation of playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Milwaukee Bucks at the team's media day.
On September 27 it was announced that Lillard would be acquired by the Bucks from the Portland Trail Blazers in a blockbuster trade in the NBA. The announcement led to Lillard’s 11-year career in Oregon coming to an end as he made the switch to Wisconsin.
The deal was part of a three-team trade with the Phoenix Suns, with Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara heading to Portland, before Holiday was subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics. Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson all made the switch to Arizona.
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Lillard had been linked with a move away from the Blazers for months, with the speculation intensifying after he submitted a trade request on July 1. The Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets were the two teams who were credited as possible destinations for Lillard prior to the trade to the Bucks.
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Now Lillard will be playing alongside Antetokounmpo as he begins his new career in Milwaukee. And the new Bucks point guard has spoken about what he expects from playing alongside the seven-time NBA All-Star.
“I don’t think it’s a secret how much I want to win,” Lillard said at Milwaukee’s media day on Monday, via . “That’s how we got here today.
“They want to win equally as bad as I do. I couldn’t be more excited.
“I couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity, to be part of this organization, to play alongside the best player in the league.”
Lillard added: “Playing with somebody like Giannis, the kind of attention that he’s going to get is only going to make the game easier and more simple for me.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will now be teammates for the Milwaukee Bucks (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)“I think because of the way I impose myself when I do play and how I attack games, he’s going to have the opportunity that I don’t think he’s had as well.”
Lillard will have five pre-season games with Milwaukee in a build-up to the new NBA season. Preseason games against the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and a doubleheader against the Memphis Grizzlies await over the course of October.
That will all lead to the opening game of the NBA season against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 26 at the Fiserv Forum.