There have been rumors swirling that Bucks star Damian Lillard isn’t happy in Milwaukee and Dame himself has addressed them head on.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith made the bold call earlier in the week that if the Bucks don’t win a chip then the franchise should think about trading him because he’s “not happy” and “miserable”.
“I saw somebody say ‘Dame is not happy in Milwaukee’ or something like that,” Lillard told reporters on Friday. “I know the truth.
“I love the situation that I’m in. I also know what I have going on outside of basketball going on that kind of drains me at times. People are going to make comments. People are going to say things.
“And if it doesn’t go the way they said it was going to go, nobody is ever (going to) come to them and say ‘All right, you said this. Now what do you have to say about it?’ They are never held accountable for what they say publicly.”
Lillard has admitted that he’s been struggling with some personal stuff, including moving away from his home and three kids in Portland and getting a divorce from his wife – who he was with for over a decade.
But Dame hasn’t let it show on the court, since he averaged 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and seven assists per gameon 42.4 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from the three.
His regular season averages are slightly lower than they were in Portland last season, but he was a one-man band over there, so it was easier to fill the stat sheet.
Now, Lillard shares the court with another superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star veterans like Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez.
Because of the experience on the Bucks’ squad, there is a lot of pressure on them to perform well in the postseason.
Despite the pressure, Lillard said he enjoys those expectations.
“One thing that I’ve been thinking about all week is I’ve gone my whole career wanting the opportunity to win,” Lillard said. “And I always thought I had a chance to win.
“But being in this situation. I keep taking myself back to how I felt when I got traded here, realizing the opportunity I got in front of me.”