Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard wants an apology. The veteran guard shared a post on his Instagram story about a study concluding that the “hand on knees” posture was better in helping an athlete catch his breath than standing upright in the “hand on head” posture.
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Lillard not only shared the post but also tagged coach Raymond Young, director of Team Lillard, a non-profit organization founded by the Bucks star for student-athletes to enhance their basketball skills. The caption on top of the image read:
“I demand a public apology from every coach I’ve ever had.”
The post was seemingly a message to Young, Lillard’s coach in his AAU days. In the past, coaches discouraged their players from putting their hands on their knees to catch their breath and taught them to put both hands on their heads and take long breaths to recover from fatigue. However, the research concluded that the hand-on-knee technique was better at aiding recovery, rendering the long-held belief incorrect. So, it’s hard not to say that Lillard’s words on the matter were completely justified, that said, he was likely only joking about the apology bit.
Exploring Damian Lillard and Raymond Young’s Relationship
Damian Lillard and Raymond Young have known each other for almost two decades. The coach was the first to identify the future Hall of Famer’s talent when he was in middle school. Young’s belief in Lillard’s ability prompted the young hooper to join the Oakland Rebels, an AAU team he coached.
Under Young’s tutelage, Lillard blossomed into a star in the Oakland AAU scene and caught the attention of Oakland Soldiers, the better-funded and better-equipped rivals of the Rebels. The team tried to lure Lillard, but he turned them down. In an interview with Oregon Live in 2016, the then-Portland Trail Blazers superstar recalled:
“[The Soldiers] wanted me to come to some tournaments with them. They have sponsorship, LeBron played for them, free shoes … they want to give me shoes and all that. I was like, ‘No thank you. I’m cool.'”
This proves that Lillard’s loyalty was inculcated in him at a young age. He turned down a lucrative offer to stick with the coach and the team that allowed him to shine. Similarly, Lillard refused to entertain the thought of leaving the Trail Blazers and teaming up with other superstars to form superteams like his peers. However, in the 2023 offseason, the perennial All-Star finally bid goodbye to the team that drafted him after 11 seasons and joined the Milwaukee Bucks in his quest for an NBA title.
As for Raymond Young, he and Lillard continue to work together. He is the director of Team Lillard and coaches the organization’s under-15s, under-16s, and under-17s teams. The Bucks superstar trusts Young to pave the way for aspiring basketball stars as the coach did for him. However, Lillard undoubtedly now expects Young to let the players catch their breath with the hand-on-knee posture.
