By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Before joining forces in the 2023 NBA Preseason and from there in the following Regular Season, Damian Lillard simply practicing with Giannis Antetokounmpo has been enough for an impressive rating of his new teammate.
Lillard, 33, talked to The Athletic about playmaking for the Freak in practices of the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I threw it up. He jumped up, caught it, turned and he just two-hand dunked it real quick. And it was like, ‘I’ve never played with nobody that’s capable of that’, he shared early experience with Antetokounmpo.
“So, it’s just different because it was like, that’s a cheat code,” he explained in the lengthy interview with Eric Nehm, “To just be able to throw a ball up and have somebody be coordinated enough to hold his guy off, go up, catch it, come down on balance, go up and no dribble, no step and dunk it, you know, over people.”
From missing the exhibition games versus the Chicago Bulls at Fiserv Forum and against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum, both Antetokounmpo and Lillard are likely to play opposite the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
“I want a chance to win”
After 11 years with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Oakland native was traded to the Bucks in late September.
“At this stage in my career, I want to win. I want a chance to win, so coming into a situation with a guy as dominant as he is, you know, two-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, won a championship, he wants to win too,” he added to teaming up with Giannis, “I think we’re very like-minded when it comes to being a teammate and being unselfish and just doing whatever is necessary.”
Coming out of Weber State, Lillard was selected with the sixth overall pick of the 2012 NBA draft. He went on to log 830 games played between the Regular Season and eight campaigns in the Playoffs. The longest postseason run reached the Western Conference Finals in 2019.
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