3 Days After ‘$45.64 Million Move’ to Bucks, Damian Lillard ‘Mocking’ Milwaukee 19 Months Ago Resurfaces

Advait Jajodia | 01/10/2023
3 Days After '$45.64 Million Move' To Bucks, Damian Lillard ‘Mocking’ Milwaukee 19 Months Ago Resurfaces

In a stunning turn of events, the Milwaukee Bucks managed to swoop Damian Lillard from the trading market. Parting ways with Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, and several draft picks, the Bucks have teamed up Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard to gain an upper hand on the entire NBA. Despite the Miami Heat being Dame’s preferred destination all summer long, the Wisconsin side will gladly pay Lillard his $45.64 million salary for the upcoming season. However, 19 months before this blockbuster deal got finalized, Lillard took a dig at players who wanted to play in Oklahoma City and Milwaukee to prove a point.

Swallowing his pride, Damian Lillard requested the Portland Trail Blazers for a change of scenario earlier this off-season. With hopes to end his 11-year ringless streak, the 6ft 2” guard stated that he wanted to join a title-contending franchise. From what reports suggested, the Miami Heat was Dame’s preferred destination.

However, with the Heat not being able to offer a solid deal, the Suns, the Bulls, and the Raptors had also joined the race. Much to everyone’s surprise, the Milwaukee Bucks pulled off an unexpected deal and added Lillard to their roster.

An old video of Damian Lillard mocking players for choosing to play in Milwaukee goes viral

Back in February 2022, Damian Lillard made an appearance on Draymond Green’s podcast. At one point in the hour-long episode, Dame pointed out that there were players who preferred joining the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Milwaukee Bucks. So therefore, him playing for the Portland Trail Blazers shouldn’t come off as a surprise to anybody. Lillard told Green:

“People going to Oklahoma City, like… no offense, people going to Milwaukee, know what I mean? Portland ain’t what people think, otherwise I wouldn’t have been living here this long.”

Clearly, this was probably his unique method of recruiting some players to join him at Portland.

We don’t really know which players were Dame talking about when he dished out this comment. However, his remarks from 19 months ago could lead to an awkward first interaction with his new teammates.

Dame received a warm reception in Milwaukee

Yesterday, Damian Lillard made his way to Milwaukee. Fans and new teammates were present at the Fiserv Forum to make Dame feel welcome to his new home.

The seven-time All-Star didn’t waste any time before getting some shots up. Putting on Milwaukee gear for the first time, Dame was seen spending time at the Bucks’ practice facility.

 

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It’ll be interesting to see how the big three of Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton fare next season.

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Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over four years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,700+ articles.

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