“Reunited”: Damian Lillard Reminisces Portland Time With New Teammate 5 Years After Losing the Blazers’ Shooting Aid

Published 10/14/2023, 1:33 AM EDT

Not everything in Milwaukee is new for Damian Lillard. Though the NBA is one big unit, where everyone is well connected, still having an old teammate in your new team must be a distinct feeling. A champion with Milwaukee Bucks was a Portland Trail Blazers rookie, and Lillard had shown him the ropes. And that camaraderie was reflecting in the post shared by Dame.

Milwaukee has gone to great lengths to get Lillard. Now, to make that count, this small market team would have to extend its complete support and back the recent additions to come together as a team.

A big-time role player.

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Pat Connaughton is a no-nonsense grinder who knows his role and leaves an impact every time he steps on the court. Before he became a Milwaukee Buck, he was with Damian Lillard in Portland. Pat’s stint with the Blazers was a very fruitful one. He got to exercise his shooting skills along with the long-distance ace in Lillard. And in his final year at Portland, he played the entire 82 games for the Blazers.

However, that post season ended in disappointment as the third seeded Blazers got swept by the sixth seeded Pelicans. In a strange way, history has repeated for Pat last season. His first seeded Milwaukee Bucks got swept by the wildfire of the eight seeded Miami Heat.

If a bad series loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers led to the 73-win Warriors team getting Kevin Durant, a bad series has led the Bucks to get Damian Lillard.

Though the media called out Kevin Durant, and made his stay with the Dubs a nightmare, they showered Lillard with love.

“Come to Phoenix”: Estranged Ex-Hornet Shouting Out Kevin Durant Excites Suns Fans Despite Already Having a Superteam

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As KD got Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo has now gained Damian Lillard. With one of the top 5 shooters in the league as the co-star, Giannis and the Bucks enter the season as favorites.

What would this year mean for the Bucks?

Just like the Phoenix Suns, the Bucks have a superstar trio with Khris Middleton, Lillard and Giannis. If the three superstars of the Bucks are healthy, anything less than a championship is a failure for the bucks. The same applies to the Suns’ team as well. Phoenix has got Bradley Beal from the Wizards to play with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. If these two teams play in the finals, it would be the ultimate treat.

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As for Damian Lillard, he was the Portland Loyalist for the longest of time. And this is his first legitimate shot at the title. Therefore, he should make it count.

Watch This Story: “Lame Time as Usual”: Portland Fans Turn on Damian Lillard Hours Within Bucks Trade After His ‘I Could Never Be Replaced’ Release

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Written by:

Vinod is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having over six years of experience as a creative writer, he combines his passion for basketball with his love for journalism. Being an ardent fan of the NBA, he has been following & learning from reputed insiders & reporters such as Adrian Wojnarowski, Tim Legler, JJ Redick, Stephen A.

Edited by:

Aayush Kapoor

“Reunited”: Damian Lillard Reminisces Portland Time With New Teammate 5 Years After Losing the Blazers’ Shooting Aid

A big-time role player.

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