Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo & Damian Lillard - Photo by Fade Away World
MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) – Following the Milwaukee Bucks blockbuster trade to acquire Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is speaking out about the deal.
Antetokounmpo spoke to Bleacher Report about losing longtime friend Jrue Holiday and acquiring a new star teammate in Lillard saying, “Jrue is my brother for life. I love his family. I love him. I appreciate him. I wish him nothing but the best. He blessed me with a championship,” Antetokounmpo told B/R. “He’s the one who made that huge steal in Game 5 of the Finals. I went to battle with him multiple times. F–k basketball. F–k the media. This guy is my brother for life, and it’s always going to be like that. He’s going to thrive wherever he ends up.”
Holiday had been a pillar of the organization ever since the Bucks acquired him in a deal with the Pelicans in November 2020. He was selected for an NBA All-Star game, made three NBA All-Defensive teams (two first and one second), and won two NBA Teammate of the Year awards during his three seasons in Milwaukee. Additionally, he received the league’s Sportsmanship Award in 2021, and it was thanks to his performance that the Bucks were able to win an NBA Championship.
“Now at the same time, I’m excited to have Dame. He gives us a chance to win a championship. I’m excited to play with the caliber of player that he is. He can score the ball in his sleep and shoot the lights out,” Antetokounmpo continued.
Lillard also weighed in on the trade with Bleacher Report saying, “I’m just letting it sink in,” Lillard stated minutes after news broke that he was going to be a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. “I’m just trying to process it all. It’s a lot to think about. Never been in this situation before.”
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Giannis Antetokounmpo had no direct involvement in the Milwaukee Bucks’ acquisition of Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.
“Directly, he literally played no role,” Wojnarowski said Thursday on NBA Today. “The relationship there, the reverence that this organization and these players have for Holiday, he did not want to put that to Giannis Antetokounmpo and have him have that on his conscience to sign off on it, or not sign off on it.”
"Directly, he literally played no role."@wojespn on Giannis' involvement in the trade for Dame. pic.twitter.com/MRNrDUVb4N
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 28, 2023
As he enters the final guaranteed year of his deal with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo, who has a $36.3 million player option for 2024–25, has one more guaranteed season left.
Days before dealing for Lillard, the Bucks reportedly made him an offer for a three-year, $186.6 million extension, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic. It’s unclear at this time whether Antetokounmpo will accept the offer.
The Bucks will formally introduce Damian Lillard to the city of Milwaukee and Bucks fans during a welcome rally on Saturday, September 30th. The rally will be hosted outside of Fiserv Forum at 2 p.m., and all fans are welcome to attend.
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