05 October 2023 , 20:07
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Damian Lillard is set for even more change in his life as just days after the Milwaukee Bucks star was acquired in a deal from the Portland Trail Blazers he filed for divorce from his long-term partner.
The point guard already made a landmark decision in his career earlier this year as requested a trade from the Trail Blazers after 11 years with the franchise. The three-team deal — also involving Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton and Jusuf Nurkic — sent shockwaves through the sport.
Now, the 33-year-old superstar is set for another major moment after he officially filed divorce papers in Oregon. He has cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for his split from his spouse Kay'La Lillard, according to the Willamette Week.
The pair married back in September 2021 after dating since meeting in college at Weber State in Ogden, Utah. He made his name as one of the top point guard prospects in the country while he was there, and was eventually drafted in the 2012 NBA draft by the Blazers.
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The couple have three small children together - Damian Jr., 5, and 2-year-old twins Kali and Kalii. According to the filing, it appears that Kay'La moved out of the family home in December 2022, with Lillard staying in the house the couple once shared.
During happier times back in November 2021, the superstar posted a tribute on his Instagram page to his wife on her birthday. He posted: "My life with you is so much better than my life without you. Thank you for being the wife you are…the mother you are…the friend you are… and the super solid person you are.
"You truly make me a better man and make me stand up taller! I go harder knowing that my work will continue to give you and my kids the world… you and me always baby… I love you."
Damian Lillard has had an eventful year which has included his trade to the Milwaukee Bucks (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)This last year has been a time of great change for the seven-time All-Star as he left the Trail Blazers for a new chapter. In fact, Lillard is purported to have filed for divorce on Oct. 2, which is only five days after his landmark trade to the Bucks.
Explaining his reasons for seeking a trade, he explained: "[The Bucks] 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 [Giannis Antetokounmpo]."
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.
“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.”