“Talking Sh*t To Me”: Damian Lillard’s Teammate Praises His Resolve While Describing 3-Pt Contest Experience

Damian Lillard added to his status as one of the greatest shooters ever by retaining his three-point champion status earlier this year. However, his joyous time injected mixed feelings into the heart of his Milwaukee Bucks teammate, Malik Beasley. The latter recently opened up about his experience of competing against Dame in the 2024 3-point contest while sharing his views about the win.

During his latest appearance on Run It Back, the 27-year-old wrote, “He was talking s**t to me the whole time…I’m like, ‘Damn! What are you trying to do? You trynna put that pressure on me?’…I’m glad he won. With all the stuff he was going through, to show that he can still enjoy himself and still help the team and still be a powerful person in this league, just shows his strength and mental capacity”.

It’s hard to blame Malik Beasley for his initial surprise. After all, he didn’t expect Damian Lillard to take this very seriously. But, it appears that the former Blazers star was completely locked in, and ready to do whatever it takes to win. Especially given everything that was going on in his personal life, this really is something.

As Beasley noted, this provided a glimpse into Lillard’s mental fortitude, smoothening his transition into his new life.

Looking back at the challenges Damian Lillard faced during this occasion

Lillard’s move to Wisconsin in September last year marked the end of his 11-year-long run with the Portland Trail Blazers. As a result, coming into a new city in the early 30s threw unprecedented challenges at Lillard.

On top of this, just two days after the finalization of his Bucks trade, the 8x All-Star filed for divorce from his then-wife of two years, Kay’La Lillard. Despite being high school sweethearts, the couple grew apart from each other, leading to an abrupt end to their relationship.

Due to this sea of changes, Dame failed to attain his best possible mental state by the end of pre-season. Consequently, he recorded just 24.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game ahead of the All-Star break, while shooting an underwhelming 34.1% from the deep. This failed to justify the hype around this trade, raising question marks over his capability.

In February this year, Lillard candidly opened up his lackluster displays, shedding light on the impact of his off-court challenges. He told YahooSports’ Vincent Goodwill, “We all have stuff we really care about, near and dear to our heart. I’m happy I’m a stable person, I got solid people around me. It’s probably been the hardest transition in my life, all things considered”.

So, as Beasley pointed out, Dame probably needed the victory in the 3-point contest a lot more than some of the others did. Much to his delight, he deservedly got what he wanted, marking a memorable chapter in his iconic journey.