Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years, and in 2021, the front office brought in Damian Lillard to replicate that success. However, the Bucks have only reached the conference semifinals since then.
In a conversation with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Lillard discussed his partnership with Antetokounmpo and their shared responsibility to lead the team to another championship.
“It’s different,” Lillard said. “I think it is hard. It’s harder than people talk about it, especially when you’ve had the ball as much as he has and I’ve had the ball as much as I have.”
“But I think what it comes down to is, when you are the leader of a team … like the first option of a team or like a star player, you want to make sure that you are doing what you’re supposed to do,” he continued. “Like, I’m being productive. I’m dominating. And you don’t ever want to feel like you’re coming up short of that.”
Damian Lillard #0 and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks walk to the bench during the first half of a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls. Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Lillard also spoke about his role in maximizing Antetokounmpo’s performance. “It’s just a matter of him trusting that,” Lillard said. “I’m also going to make sure he’s producing and he’s doing his 30 and 14 or whatever, because it’s not that he wants stats, he wants to be his dominant self. And the same goes for me.”
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Lillard on the Bucks’ 2024 season
In an interview with Alex Squadron of Slam Online, Lillard emphasized that the Bucks are being overlooked as title contenders and shared his thoughts on how the NBA shifts its focus to other teams.
“Yeah, I think people are definitely [overlooking the Bucks], and that’s how the league is,” Lillard said. “It’s like, on to the next thing. There are younger teams on the rise, you have teams that made big free agency moves, teams that made trades, all types of things took place.”
He continued, “So when something major happens or something big happens for a team, especially if it’s already a good team, like of course [that’s the reaction]. Rightfully so, all of those teams are going to be mentioned at the top.”
Bucks’ upcoming matches
Lillard and Antetokounmpo will kick off their NBA season in search of another championship on Wednesday, October 23, facing the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. Two days later, they’ll host the Chicago Bulls in their home opener.
