In case you missed it, the big NBA news of the day was that Damian Lillard will be returning to the Portland Trail Blazers following the nine-time All-Star being waived by the Milwaukee Bucks. The basketball world is ecstatic for Dame, and that includes his now ex-teammate, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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Lillard had a tough 2024-2025 season. His run initially ended when he got diagnosed with a DVT, a blood clot that seemingly was going to sideline him for the year.
The 35-year-old superstar somehow battled back in time for the playoffs, only to suffer an Achilles tear that would put him out of action even longer.
Yet Dame still has some significant time left in his career to make a splash, and his old team, the Blazers, saw that. They signed him to a three-year $42 million deal. He gets to return to the city that he’s been battling it out in since he was drafted back in 2012.
So when Lillard posted a video on his Instagram of how excited he was to be back in Rip City, the Greek Freak broke his silence on the news by liking the post. It was a classy move by Antetokounmpo, one that shows that his friendship with Dame went deeper than their failures on the court.
Giannis showing love for Dame pic.twitter.com/vCGE2BsUL3
— (@34for2) July 17, 2025
When people look back on Lillard’s odd two-year run in Milwaukee, they will probably only recognize the lack of an NBA title. But the run was important for how it brought Giannis and Dame together as buddies.
It was like that from the very start to. In early 2024, right after Lillard got traded to the Bucks, he told the media, “We have a good relationship. We talk all the time,” regarding Giannis. How did Antetokounmpo respond?
“I am his biggest fan. Good or bad, I ride with Dame until the f—ing end. I ride with Dame.” It’s clear that this is why the Greek Freak liked the post. He’s just happy that his forever friend is now happy, because he gets to continue to ball. Not only that. He gets to ball in his home.
Dame’s journey is eerily similar to what Giannis is going through right now. Rumors had circulated that the 30-year-old superstar wanted to explore a different team after failing to capture ring #2 in three straight seasons.
He, like Dame, probably wondered if it was worth leaving the team that had done so much for him in hopes that more success would be out there. For Lillard, it didn’t really work out, but that was as much bad injury luck as it was bad play.
The latest updates seem to indicate that Giannis will remain a Buck, but he is monitoring the organization’s moves very closely. Regardless of where he ends up, one team that Giannis will never leave is the Dame love train. That jersey is forever.
