Speaking to Chris Mannix of SI.com, Damian Lillard acknowledged that his first season in Milwaukee has been a “real transition” and remains a “work in progress.” While his – and the Bucks‘ – performance on the court has been the focus of that adjustment period, the eight-time All-Star guard noted that the personal aspect of the move has been challenging too.
“Being away from my kids is tough,” said Lillard, who filed for divorce in October. “In Portland, my life was set up. My mom was down the street; my brother was the other way down the street. My sister was down the street. My kids in school. Just my whole life was set up perfectly right there. It was a great situation. So just leaving that behind alone is a lot. And then you add the basketball side to it and that is what it is.”
After spending the first 11 years of his NBA career with the Trail Blazers, Lillard doesn’t have the same sort of life outside of basketball in Milwaukee that he did in Portland, he admitted when Mannix asked him about his routine.
“Bro, go to practice, go home, watch boxing, play video games,” Lillard said. “Man, I type in (boxing website) FightHype on YouTube 100 times and be praying for something new to be on there. Seriously, I don’t have much of a life. But that’s what comes with making a big boy decision. You got to be down for that and figure it out.”
Here are a few more highlights from Lillard’s conversation with Mannix, which was conducted just before the All-Star break (and before the Bucks’ recent three-game winning streak):
- Lillard said that the season hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as he might’ve envisioned after he made his preseason debut back in October, but that he believes the ups and downs the Bucks have experienced will ultimately be good for the team. “I thought we were going to be how Boston is right now,” he told Mannix. “But I think what I’ve learned is that some things take time, especially stuff that has reward in the end. You can’t come into it and think that it’s just going to be all peaches and cream. … We’ve had adversity hit our team two or three different times and we’ve managed to still be a top-three team in the East with a lot of games to go and still being far away from reaching what we could be and what we should be. And since Doc (Rivers) has gotten here, we’ve kind of shuffled some things around and set kind of a new foundation of things that’s really encouraging.”
- Having Terry Stotts on the Bucks’ coaching staff created a level of comfort and familiarity for Lillard that went away when the former Trail Blazers head coach resigned from his assistant position before the regular season began. “Now I’m like, O.K., what’s this play?’ I was kind of in the figuring out stage,” Lillard said of the period following Stotts’ exit. “So when you don’t really know stuff like the back of your hand, it is hard to direct traffic and be telling people, ‘I want you right here or there.’ Point guards, especially veteran point guards, man, we play the game differently than a young talented point guard. We are just manipulating everything. And that’s hard to do for the team and for yourself when you’re just trying to learn.”
- Citing the Nuggets duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic as an aspirational example, Lillard said that he and Giannis Antetokounmpo have a strong relationship and want to continue to improve their on-court chemistry to reach that championship level. “(Murray and Jokic) played together for six or seven years. They don’t even think about it no more,” Lillard said. “But in the beginning, they struggled. Jokic would have his moments and then Jamal Murray would struggle and then he would have his moments and then it would take away from him. And then once they figured it out, they went out there and won it.”
- Lillard “absolutely” believes that the Bucks are capable of winning a title this spring: “I’d be the first to tell you it’s been a challenging year, but the kind of person I am, when stuff like this start happening, I start thinking there’s a reward coming. That’s how I think because I do s–t the right way. I don’t change. I don’t mistreat people. I don’t cheat my process. I still go to the gym at night. I do my stuff, my body, I do everything. I did think we’d be rolling a lot sooner than this. But I know we can get there.”
I find it amusing he’s talking about how “tough” it is being away from his family and home when he’s the one that made the choice to leave.
Also “top three in the east” sounds better than “third seed, 8.5 games behind the one seed”
Making a choice doesn’t prevent you from having thoughts about how things could be different. Caveat emptor is a thing, even if you’re better off. Like missing friends who you had to cut off because they were toxic or getting involved in something you couldn’t accept. You’re better off. Doesn’t mean you don’t miss them.
I know all of that.
And I still find it amusing.
Agreed. I got what you were saying.
The grass is not always greener, and winning is not the most important thing, not even close.
He’s not even slightly “better off”
@EonADS – Facts!
Happens a lot with young athletes. Have to separate from their high school or sometimes earlier to train academy style like with Tennis to get advanced training and competition. Not easy leaving family, friends and what you are familiar with.
He also had a change of heart and said he’d to come back to Portland, Cronin said no and sent him to Milwaukee.
Sounded like the media made him into trade bait and he finally went along. Stupid move but maybe winning a title and the money will make it ok. No changing the past though.
Just amazing how difficult it is as an NBA player with the amount of free time they have to decide what to do. Maybe he should have stayed in Portland if he was so happy there? But did he not want a trade? I am so confused maybe that’s why the Bucks are the best organization in the NBA and why they have been dominant this year. But now that Coach Doc has fixed the defensive issues I would think they are on the fast track to another championship. Start printing the shirts Bucks in 6 again.
He wanted to win.
Now he’s sad.
He got diverted to Milwaukee when his intended destination was Miami.
…where he would have been farther away from home…
If Lillard is traded to Miami he is buying a house, and is the newest permanent resident. Traded to Milwaukee …. He is renting a crib which is nothing more than a place to crash during the season.
The Bucks do look better on defense lately they dismantled the Nuggets offense holding them to 95 and held the T-Wolves to 107. They also did it with a different defensive game plan for each team. Then again they also like at the Grizz.
Dame is going to be just fine. There’s nothing unusual about anything he’s said. He’s far better off in Milwaukee if a championship is the goal. Missing where he’s been for a decade, after making an upwardly mobile career change, is the kind of stuff average joes can also relate too.
I feel you Dame.
Why can’t the story just be he got addicted to cheese curds and beer and had to play himself into shape. I want fat Dame!