Damian Lillard Talks Joining Bucks & Teaming with Giannis | Full Interview | NBA Media Day 2023

First of all, I want to thank Wes, thank John, Milt, Griff. I appreciate you guys making this happen. Obviously, I've spent my entire career in Portland, 11 years, long time. So I'm extremely thankful for that organization, that city, the fans, for giving me the kind of experience that I had. And I don't think it's a secret how much I want to win. And that's how we got here today. And I think they want to win equally as bad as I do. And I couldn't be more excited, I couldn't be more thankful for this opportunity to be a part of this organization. To play alongside the best player in the league, it's gonna be fun. And the hospitality that they show, my family, we touched down to a parade, my first time getting traded. So you don't know what to expect. So to walk in to something like that was special. It was a great welcoming, and it's something that I really appreciated. And it only made me more excited to be here, more excited to get to work. So I'm thankful. Yeah, about 5,000 attended. You got a good taste of hospitality here in Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. Let's go with Eric with the first question. Hey, Damon, Eric named Athletic. Nice to meet you. Welcome to Milwaukee. I'm curious, just how have you processed the last five days? Like just the idea of you mentioned getting traded for the first time, now being in this situation. Just can you take us through the emotions of all of that? Yeah, it was definitely a different experience. I was just kind of sitting there in my man cave. I didn't really know what was gonna happen. I started to think like, man, it might get to training camp and I might just be sitting and waiting. And then I got that call from my agent. It was like, man, you're getting traded to Milwaukee. And I had heard so many different things that I was like, am I really getting traded? And he was like, yeah, they traded you. And I could tell in his seriousness and his voice that it was real. And he was like, I'll let you sit with it for a while. I'll call you back. I'm gonna settle some things and then we'll talk about it. And after we got off the phone, I sat there and I was like, I'm really moving on. And it became reality for me and I kinda just started to think like my entire family is here. How am I gonna pack everything up? I started to panic a little bit, first time. And then I wanted to let my family know. So I started walking around the house and nobody was there. Everybody was out doing something. I'm calling people, nobody picking up the phone. I was like, man, any other time I'll be able to reach whoever I need to. So I had to sit with it by myself for a while. So when that happened, I just kinda went back to the man cave and I sat there. And then that was when the calls started coming in. My friends, family members, is it real, is it true? And then I started to think about the team. So it was like, who did I get traded for? Who's gonna be there? And then I looked it up and I saw what kind of team I was coming to be a part of. And then that was when the excitement kicked in. Just recognizing the opportunity that it is. And just knowing how much I wanna win. And going into every season being optimistic and thinking that we got a chance to get it done. And then coming into this situation and knowing that you got an opportunity to do it, the excitement definitely kicked in when I sat with it for a little bit. Jim. Jim Ozarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Welcome, Dave. When and why did Milwaukee, I guess, pop up for you as a potential place to go? Like when did you maybe think about that and why did that become a place that you were like, okay, I'd be comfortable going there? It was, I would say, maybe two weeks ago. You know, it was just all this talk and all these things. And it was a lot of things said that didn't come from me. I hadn't spoke on the situation a whole lot. But as we got into it, my agent called me and he was just like, what about Milwaukee? And obviously Giannis, his public record that I've always mentioned. If I had to team up with one person, it would be him. So when we talked about it, I was like, I would definitely be interested in that, obviously. And he was just like, okay, and I could tell he kind of put it in his back pocket. And obviously in these situations, you never control completely how things end up or where you end up going. So it came about, and it was an option, and it was like, press play. Why pass up on that type of opportunity? So it was something that came up, I would say, two weeks ago, and I was interested in that for sure. And now that we're here, I'm excited for this opportunity. Vince? Damian, you brought it up earlier, playing with Giannis Vinci or Yahoo Sports. Sorry about that. You're in a situation where you said publicly, you said to Chris, I'm going to a situation where I'm not the best player. But at the same time, you can have the ball in your hands the last two or three minutes of the game. Is that something that appealed to you, that sort of situation where you don't have to carry, but you can still be yourself? Yeah, I mean, I'm always be myself, and being myself doesn't always mean that I gotta be out front or everything has to be about me. I think because of who I am as a person, the way that I prepare myself, the way that I approach the game, I'm gonna find a way to have impact. And like I said, playing with somebody like Giannis, the kind of attention that he's gonna get is only gonna make the game easier and more simple for me. And I think because of the way that I impose myself when I do play and how I attack games, he's gonna have the kind of opportunity that I think he hasn't had as well. So I mean, the best thing I could tell you is how exciting it's gonna be, how excited I am, and that I'm prepared for it. I don't go into any situation expecting for things to be about me. So I know the player that he is, I know the player that I am, and I know how to make my presence felt regardless of the role. It's not the same as this level, but when I was in college, I walked into a situation where it was upperclassmen, seniors that have been here a couple years. They had been established, they were known around our conference. And I stepped in and I didn't step on nobody's toes, but I announced my presence and I announced myself and did what I had to do. It was the same when I got to Portland. LA was an all-star, West was a vocal presence, Baton was the same, and I stepped in and announced my presence. And that was while understanding that I'm playing with the Marcus Rogers, but he also needs me to be who I am, for us to be our full selves and our best selves as a team. So I think this is similar to that, except I'm older. My understanding of it is even better, and I think I'm the best version of myself as a player as well. So I think we'll complement each other really well. And I think he's the kind of guy that he's not going into it worried about being a man or anything like that either, so I think it'll work out perfectly. As we continue, just a reminder, name and affiliation before you ask your question. Jack, go ahead. How's it going, Damian? Jack Maloney, CBS Sports. A little bit specifically on that partnership with Giannis, you're one of the best pick and roll guys in the league. It's pretty easy to envision that sort of partnership. Have you thought about that possibility and just what sort of impact you two can have specifically on the pick and roll? Yeah, I think it's, obviously, I'm a pick and roll player. I've played a lot of pick and roll in my career. And when I think about playing with him, I just try to figure out how do you defend it? I haven't played against a lot of coverages where teams aren't at the level of the screen, whether it's showing, trapping, or just being there to where I gotta get a ball up. And I can't imagine him wanting him to have the ball at the free throw line, coming downhill with an advantage. And Chris on the wing, and Brooke, you got really good players out there. So I've definitely thought about it, and I just don't know how you handle that. And I think it's gonna be something that teams have to put up with and try to figure out. But I'm excited, I think there's gonna be a lot of opportunity for me out there because of who he is and vice versa. Chris. Chris Hanks, TNT, NBA TV, Bleacher. Dane, now that this move is made, what they laughing at, man? I have no idea, man. Dane, now that this move has been made, this summer was the first time you were working out and not knowing where you were going to be. Who were you working out for? How were you able to prepare? And like, cuz you know years prior, you're working out with a purpose How were you able to prepare yourself for the unknown? I just try not to think about it too much. I didn't put pressure on myself about, what system am I gonna play in? Where am I gonna be? Like I said before, I know if I show up prepared and I show up as myself, I'm gonna figure it out. I had that type of confidence in myself in whatever situation. But I think it was just a summer for me where I made my strengths stronger. I kept them as my strengths. And then the things that I felt like I need to tighten up and sharpen up, I took the time to do those things. But I think at this stage of my career, I am who I'm gonna be. It's just a matter of how well I can take care of myself, how sharp I can be. And just whatever that situation was, just being able to get my feet on the ground and then start locking into it and understand what our purpose is, what's expected of me, what kind of basketball are we gonna play? What kind of personnel are we gonna have? And I think coming into this situation is very, very easy. You look at somebody like Giannis, you look at Chris, you look at Brooke. When I looked at the roster, it was very easy for me to make sense of what my job is gonna be. Move over to this side, Gabe. Gabe Stoltz, brewhoop.com. Welcome to Milwaukee, Dave. Appreciate it. Just curious, you've been here a few days. What have your initial impressions been about the team chemistry and the culture and whatnot, and how do you see that evolving? I mean, as far as team chemistry, I'm a rapper too, so I checked them. When I got here, I could tell right away that it was a family environment. I could tell that it was a family environment right away, and just a humble environment. Everybody was just chill, it was real calm. And I think when it comes to chemistry, you don't really know until you get out there on the floor, and stuff starts happening, somebody gets missed while they open, somebody's not playing. Things gotta happen for you to understand where does this team really stand, how the chemistry really is. And just looking at the personalities that I've seen so far, it seems like that won't be an issue. I think it'll be pretty good chemistry. But as far as the city, being embraced like that, it definitely makes you comfortable a lot faster when you see that you're wanted and people are excited about you being here. And like I said, man, a lot of it was unexpected. I didn't know what to expect. It's been a great couple of days. My family's been really comfortable. I've gotten some work in, I've been around a little bit. So I'm excited, man. Every time I've been to Milwaukee over the course of my career, I just stay in the hotel the whole time cuz it's snowing or something like that. So seeing the sun out and being by the water and stuff like that, it almost made me smile a little bit. Like, man, this could be all right, you know what I'm saying? Every time I came here, it was snowing, it was depressing a little bit. So I'm excited to be here, man. Like I said, seeing the opportunity basketball-wise and seeing the type of environment that they've created, the type of success that they've had, and knowing that I could bring something that could get us over to hump and have an opportunity to win, I'm definitely excited to be here. And it's been a great experience so far. Dame Jamal Collier from ESPN, welcome again to Milwaukee. Kind of just coming off that, you talked about wanting, obviously, to win and winning in your career. And you're coming to a situation where you and Giannis together championship and stuff is the expectation. Just kind of curious how you sort of approach, how are you looking at that? How are you coming into this season? Are you excited about the opportunity to kind of show? You obviously have been in the playoffs and seen on that level, but in that way, and especially also kind of considering the other teams in the East, Boston just made a trade. How do you feel about just the competition level there? I mean, I think initially, the competition level is always extremely high. Obviously, you have the media, they look at, this guy went to this team, this guy went to that team, and those things jump off the page. But you just never know what can happen with injuries and guys break out. Some teams are better than you expect, like Denver won a championship last year. Nobody jumped out and said that last season. It was all the teams that looked better on paper. So for me, I think I'm approaching this season just doing the work. Obviously, in my career, in my life, I've never been a part of any situation that was not an underdog. From my AAU program, I played for my neighborhood AAU program, I went to Weber State, I get drafted to Portland. I've done a lot more overachieving in my career than living up to it, what was expected. So I'm excited about that. I think, once again, at my age and at this stage in my career, I think it came at the perfect time, cuz I'm prepared for a situation like this. And Giannis and I spoke, and I think the focal point of that conversation was just that, yes, it looks good, and it's an attractive thing, me and him playing together, the kind of team that we have, but the work has to get done. And I think that's one thing that we're extremely like-minded about, that I've learned in the last couple days, is when it comes to having some success, I'm a person that wants to get in the mud and make sure that I'm doing the things that's gonna earn us that right, to have that type of success, and he is too. So it made me feel good to know that he thinks that way, cuz I almost get a little bit nervous about people around the situation having expectations and how the people that's involved in it are gonna carry it. So we got on the same page about that right away, so I think that's the approach. Dane, Dario Melendez, WISN, welcome to Milwaukee. You kinda mentioned a little bit, entering your past training camps, player personnel question, system question, you're coming in now, you're playing with a bona fide superstar for the first time, really, in your career. No offense to CJ Lamarcus, but that's gotta be refreshing, right? Yeah, it is, I mean, I know people always say I'm excited, but I'm really excited. My whole career has been off the dribble threes, pick and roll, pull up threes, contested, double team, trapped. And I'm just curious to see how that can be possible with a player as dominant as he is, I'm excited, I'm excited for the opportunity to play with him. I'm excited for the opportunity to be freed up and to be able to have more space and opportunity to play. So it's gonna be fun, man, as far as the system, I know my coach in my first nine years of my career is on this staff as well, Terry Stotts. And we joked a little bit when I ran into him about some of the sets that is gonna be put in, so I was like, cool. I think it's gonna be a good time, but to answer your question, playing next to Giannis is gonna be a great opportunity, opportunity that I've never had before. And once again, where I'm at right now, I think it came at the perfect time. Steve Ashburner, NBA.com, you know Drew Holiday's reputation as a defender. Yeah. What has your approach been to that side of the ball? And now that you're gonna be in his spot, do you see that necessarily changing for you at all? I think when you come into the NBA, especially as a young player that plays a lot, I think the place where you struggle the most is on the defensive end of the floor, and I don't think it's always a lack of desire. I think it's just not knowing terminology. Sometimes you're just running around like a chicken with your head cut off. You don't know what to expect. You don't know tendencies. You don't know personnel. And I think if you really take a look into my progression defensively, you'll see that I've gotten better year after year after year after year, even if you look into it the last couple of seasons. And I think the main reason for that is understanding what's going on. I know players around the league. I understand calls. When I hear a call gets called out, we all run the same types of actions. We all use the same terminology, so I'm able to be ahead of it and understand what's happening. Also, playing on a defensive-minded team this year, I think it'll make it more simple. Like Coach Griff was saying, I understand where to be on the floor. I understand how to rotate. I understand how to play team defense, but I'm a competitor. And at the very least, on that end of the floor, I'm gonna compete. I'm not gonna come in here and beat Drew Holiday. I think, in my personal opinion, I think he's the best defender on the perimeter. But it's not gonna be what people just throw out there loosely. I think in the past, it's been something where people just say, damn, on defense, he's this on offense. But the people that I play against will tell you, I ain't a pushover. You know what I'm saying? And I've also had a lot of responsibility on the offensive end for my entire career. And I think playing with the kind of players I'll be playing with here, it'll also give me an opportunity to show myself much better on the defensive end of the floor. Scott Grodzki, CBS Milwaukee. Obviously, we've talked a lot about you and Giannis, some of the other key guys in this team. How do you see yourself fitting in with guys like Chris, Brooke? Obviously, you've played with Pat before as well. I think I'm familiar with the way they play. I think that's the best way to tell you is offensively, I'm gonna make the right play. Once we get on the floor, I think I pick up things pretty quickly. I see what guys like to do. I see how I can fit myself in with the guys around me. I've always done that. And I don't think this would be any different, but it's nothing that I can tell you specifically. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. I just know how to react to what's going on around me. And once we get on the floor, I'll find my spots and I'll find my spaces to where I gotta be myself. But how I can be a compliment to those guys as well. Hi, Dave. I'm Dylan Hunter Carter, WTMJ Radio. Welcome to Milwaukee. Appreciate it. You've become known throughout the league for finding a small market team and making that a home for ten years. And that's something I know you are very proud of as well. So what is the experience like for you to now enter a different small market and kind of go through that process again? Where do you even start? I think it just feels familiar. It doesn't feel like a crazy environment. It's like I left one small market to another one. And one thing I can say is the people that I went to work with every day in Portland are what made that environment one that I felt comfortable making home for as long as I did. And I think the fact that this feels similar, you come in here, everybody's like family, everybody's cool, everybody's around each other. They hang out here. That's the type of environment that I've known my entire career. So I think it'll only make it easier and more comfortable transition.