After a disappointing first round exit last year’s playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks are back on track to make a title run this year. They currently have the third-best odds(+460) in basketball to win the 2024 NBA Championship, behind the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets, per Foxsports.com. The Wisconsin side are currently second in the East with an impressive 25-11 record. Milwaukee’s title hopes this season have been mostly fueled by the addition of Damian Lillard to the roster.
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The former Portland Trail Blazers star was rumored to end up in South Beach with the Miami Heat this summer. However, the 33-year-old landed with the Bucks before the 2023-24 season, skyrocketing the Mid-Western side’s Championship aspirations. Lillard has managed to seamlessly integrate himself to the Bucks’ system, previously spearheaded by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, this recently resurfaced clip might lead to some awkwardness in the Milwaukee locker room and even inside the Fiserv Forum arena.
A Milwaukee Bucks fan page(talk about digging your own grave) named thebuckshouse recently resurfaced a clip from December of 2016, where Lillard can be seen getting booed by the Milwaukee crowd in Fiserv Forum. Dame was a Trail Blazer back then and was playing a road game against the Bucks a few days before the holidays. “SoundCloud Rapper,” the crowd could be heard chanting, taking a dig at Lillard’s budding rap career while he was at the foul line shooting free throws.
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‘SoundCloud Rapper’ is an insult used to imply that somebody is a struggling or a failed rapper and has not been signed by a record label yet. The concerted heckling didn’t seem to work as Lillard drained both his free-throws quite easily. The Portland star would go on to shoot nine-for-nine from the foul line despite all the taunts from the crowd. However, the Bucks would still manage to edge out the Blazers 115-107. Lillard would end the contest with a game-high 30 points, shooting 8-for-18 from the floor.
Is Damian Lillard really a SoundCloud Rapper?
Calling Dame D.O.L.L.A. a SoundCloud Rapper couldn’t be farther from the truth. Lillard is widely touted as the best rapper in the NBA right now. While the entire NBA community was busy speculating about his rumored trade to the Miami Heat last year, Lillard dropped his hottest album yet in August, named Don D.O.L.L.A. His work not only impressed NBA players like Steph Curry and Trae Young but also prompted appreciation from veteran rappers like Joe Budden.
Dame releases his music through his own record label “Front Page Music”. He has also worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and G-Eazy, among others.
@JoeBudden @JoeBuddenPod pic.twitter.com/KYKfPSCdUA
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) August 19, 2023
Despite his successful exploits in the music industry, Lillard is probably currently focused on winning his first-ever NBA Championship ring with the Bucks. He has the best shot yet this year to win the elusive piece of silverware. Averaging 25.1 points and 6.9 assists per game this season, the seven-time All-Star has certainly elevated the fire power of the Bucks to the next level. But his limitations on the defensive end of the floor have hurt Milwaukee this season.
The blockbuster Lillard trade cost the Bucks the best defensive guard in the league in Jrue Holiday. They will need to make some trades before the February deadline to bolster their defense if they aspire to win the chip this season.
