Bucks introduce Lillard at Media Day
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- There was a buzz in the air at Bucks Media Day as the team introduced Damian Lillard.
This Media Day had easily twice the typical crowd. That's the attention Dame draws as a seven-time All-Star and top 75 player in NBA history.
He joins a core that is expected to compete for a championship immediately.
During the conference, Lillard expressed his gratitude toward Bucks leadership and to the city of Portland where he spent a decade of his life.
Lillard said he had started to become interested in the possibility of moving to Milwaukee about two weeks ago.
When he was first alerted of the trade, Lillard said it was hard to comprehend, but later came to the conclusion that it came at the “perfect time” in his career.
Now that he and his family have spent a few days in the Brew City, Lillard said they’re adjusting well and getting comfortable.
“I’m excited man, every time I’ve been to Milwaukee over the course of my career, I just stay in my hotel the whole time because it’s snowing or something like that,” Lillard said. “So seeing the sun out and being by the water and stuff like that, it almost made me smile a little bit, like this could be alright.”
"It's public record that I always mentioned that if I had to team up with one person, it would be him," said Lillard. "Playing with somebody like Giannis, the kind of attention that he's going to get is only going to make the game easier and simpler for me. And he's going to have opportunity that he hasn't had as well."
"Having a guy like Dame on the team, it's unbelievable," said Giannis. "There's going to be so much hype around us, but at the end of the day, you don't win a game or a championship by making a move and joining the Milwaukee Bucks. You win a championship when you are the last team standing."
Giannis isn't signing a contract extension yet, but he made it clear that as long as the Bucks are committed to winning, he wants to spend his entire career in Milwaukee.
As for Lillard and any worry of having two top dogs, well, he called Giannis the "best player in the NBA."