Even though he probably knew something was up, Damian Lillard’s agent having sounded out a few teams likely to receive the point guard, such as the Nets and the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo was not directly involved in the transfer. Milwaukee did not want him to take responsibility for the exchange.
This is because the “Greek Freak” deeply respected Jrue Holiday, with whom he won the title in 2021.
“Jrue is my fucking brother for life. I love his family. I love it “ he assures Chris Haynes. “I wish him nothing but the best. He blessed me with a f***ing title. He’s the one who made that huge interception in Game 5 of the Finals. I went into battle with him several times. Never mind basketball. The media doesn’t matter. This guy is my brother for life, and always will be. He will shine wherever he goes. »
“At the same time, I’m happy to have Dame. He gives us a chance to win a title. I’m happy to play with a player of this caliber. He can score in his sleep and shoot to perfection.” he tempers.
“This is a bittersweet day for the city of Milwaukee. You get Dame, who is a great player, but you lose a great man”
After increasing the pressure on his leaders in recent times, the feeling is ambivalent for Giannis Antetokounmpo, between the loss of Jrue Holiday and the addition of Damian Lillard…
“This is a bittersweet day for the city of Milwaukee. You get Dame, who is a great player, but you lose a great man. Jrue took us to the promised land. I have been here for ten years now. I know it’s a business. At the end of the day, Jrue will always be my brother for life. He’s one of the best human beings I’ve ever been around. But we have to focus on the goal of winning the championship. Lady wants it. He is hungry to win and he will push us. I am very happy to have him on our team.”
On Damian Lillard’s side, it’s much less bittersweet.
“All my life I’ve been part of teams that were underdogs and if we had a good season we outdid ourselves. Now I’ll be able to play with a player who is better than me and be part of a great team, it’s a dream come true.” he assures. “I’ve never experienced that. It’s time for me to be in this situation. And since I know myself well enough, I know that I will benefit from it. I am excited about this opportunity. »
The first text message from the playmaker to his future teammate? “Let’s go get this f***ing championship!” »
