The home is secluded and peaceable, a contemporary construction with massive home windows on the finish of a protracted driveway. It was completed roughly a yr in the past, simply earlier than its proprietor, Damian Lillard, was traded from the Path Blazers to the Bucks. Lillard returned as quickly because the season ended and has been within the Portland space for many of the summer season, preserving issues, in his phrases, “actually easy.”
Every thing he wants is right here, together with a state-of-the-art gymnasium, the place we’ve set as much as shoot the quilt of SLAM 252. Behind one basket, stretching all the size of the wall, is a blown-up picture of Lillard’s series-clinching three-pointer towards the Rockets in 2014; behind the opposite, the unforgettable shot that knocked out the Thunder in 2019. Different pictures marking important moments in Lillard’s life and profession encompass the court docket—of household and pals, of award ceremonies and celebrations, of dunks and game-winners. “All a part of the story,” he says.
SLAM 252 featuring Damian Lillard is available now.
A yr in the past, Lillard wasn’t positive the place the subsequent chapter of that story would unfold. After requesting a commerce in July, his summer season plans needed to be altered. He couldn’t play competitively—couldn’t prepare as rigorously as he likes to—understanding that an harm would compromise negotiations. He waited three months till the take care of Milwaukee was finished, leaving him with just some days to pack his baggage and modify to his new state of affairs earlier than coaching camp started. It was all so hectic.
This summer season has been a refreshing change. Much less enterprise, extra household. Much less uncertainty, extra peace. Much less ready, extra motion. Lillard has been capable of concentrate on his coaching, embracing a holistic method that features a strict anti-inflammatory eating regimen. He even spent 4 days in Las Vegas figuring out with retired Navy SEAL David Goggins.
Because the 2024-25 season looms, Lillard is ready in a means that wasn’t doable final September, each bodily and mentally. Right here, he displays on the previous yr, his transition to Milwaukee, constructing chemistry with Giannis Antetokounmpo and far more.
SLAM: What was it wish to work out with David Goggins and the way did that come about?
Damian Lillard: We had had many conversations over the past two-and-a-half years about getting collectively and coaching. And he would at all times inform me, like, ‘Man, I might take you to the subsequent degree so far as your conditioning and your thoughts.’ And I wished to do it. It was only a matter of discovering the time and alternative that match each of our schedules. And that point got here this summer season.
It was undoubtedly a problem bodily. A number of these workouts and conditioning drills that he pushes you thru are a problem. It pushes you previous your limits. However I feel it was extra of a psychological factor than something. You understand how laborious it’s to do these issues, after which he’s consistently demanding extra. I walked away from it simply understanding myself somewhat bit higher, so far as like what you need to give. There have been a number of moments [where] I used to be able to give up. And he didn’t say, ‘Simply give me somewhat bit extra.’ He was demanding much more once I had nothing left. He saved saying, ‘Don’t simply survive, you gotta conquer it.’ And the truth that I used to be in a position to do this, I feel it did change one thing for me mentally so far as once I really feel like I’m breaking down and carrying down.
SLAM: Reflecting on final season, what are the challenges that include adapting to a brand new group that individuals on the surface are likely to overlook?
DL: I feel the primary factor individuals don’t perceive is the change that it’s for the particular person—the change that comes with choosing up and going into a brand new setting. Generally you allow one job for one more job and also you may need to relocate, however lots of people go job to job regionally. They don’t need to pack up their lives and go to a totally totally different place. And that’s not one thing that everyone experiences the identical as us.
The quantity two factor is having to be taught to work with any individual new. And never simply having to—being anticipated to work collectively and determine it out immediately. And I feel that’s one thing individuals don’t perceive. They only take a look at, This participant’s nice, that participant’s nice, you bought this, you bought that, they usually simply assume it’s speculated to work. However you gotta work out the way it works for everyone. Me taking part in with Giannis is one factor, however we’ve got to determine how we work greatest and the way that works for everyone, as a result of there are a number of guys which have to have the ability to do what they do greatest and be ready to succeed for the group to succeed. So I feel lots of people take a look at two [people], they usually don’t take a look at the large image of all the group.
SLAM: Now that you simply’ve been capable of get settled a bit in Milwaukee, is there a degree of consolation and peace that you simply assume will translate to the court docket?
DL: I undoubtedly assume there’s. Like I stated, with the ability to come again and do all the pieces to arrange myself to the very best of my potential is the very first thing. I do know that when this summer season ends and I prepare to return to Milwaukee, I’m gonna return ready, not simply due to what I did for my physique, my PT, my energy and conditioning and my eating regimen—all of these issues are nice for me bodily however with the ability to come right here and I didn’t say, All proper, this summer season I’m gonna take off and go on all these holidays and do all this stuff. I spent a number of time with the those who I actually care about and that I need to be round, and that’s my youngsters, my mother, my nephews, my sister, my brother, my cousins. We didn’t do a complete lot, we simply spent a number of time round one another. And I feel that that did me very properly this summer season. So going again understanding that I’m bodily ready and I’m mentally ready and it’s a extra acquainted state of affairs. We gained some stability with [head coach] Doc [Rivers]. Figuring out who I’m gonna go play for, having a a lot better understanding of the group, understanding guys now—I imply, it’s simply totally different. And all of these issues give me a unique degree of peace going into it than I ever might’ve had final yr.
SLAM: You talked final yr concerning the problem of determining who you’re on the Bucks. With a yr below your belt, have you ever figured it out?
DL: I feel I undoubtedly have a a lot better concept coming off of final season and solely attending to know the workers higher. Even over the summer season, spending time round them, speaking to them, and in addition with the ability to step away and look again, I’ve a a lot better concept what is important for me. I do know that I don’t have to play the identical sort of sport that I performed for the primary 11 years of my profession, however I feel my mentality must be what my mentality has at all times been. As an alternative of attempting to return and overly slot in, I feel I used to be introduced in to be who I’m. I spent an excessive amount of time attempting to ease my means into, What does it appear like?, as an alternative of simply asserting myself and being who I’m. Wanting again now and in addition being there for a while, I feel my understanding of that’s a lot better.
SLAM: How has your relationship and chemistry with Giannis developed and the place is it at now?
DL: I feel it developed nice over the course of the season. He’s not a brilliant talkative particular person and I’m not a brilliant talkative particular person myself. Over time, I’ve turn out to be [more outspoken] the extra that I begin to construct relationships with individuals, particularly on the group. And I feel because the season went on, me and him undoubtedly began to speak increasingly, and I began to return to his home to do conditioning or work out collectively. We’re on the telephone. I’m sending him clips and stuff like that. And this summer season, we’ve been in fixed communication. We each know that we’d like one another. I feel he’s excited coming into the season identical to I’m, as a result of we grew to become so much nearer because the season went on and we began to be taught [about] one another so much higher. So having a full offseason of being related to one another and with the ability to go into this subsequent season, I feel we’re each going to be prepared. And we’re each excited to do what we gotta do.
SLAM: Are you able to speak particularly about constructing pick-and-roll chemistry with Giannis? How has that developed?
DL: To start out the yr, we simply weren’t in a number of pick-and-rolls collectively for a very long time. We have been taking part in in transition, or I used to be in ISO, or he was in ISO. It simply wasn’t a number of pick-and-rolls. The easiest way to get chemistry in pick-and-rolls is to be in a number of pick-and-rolls collectively. And I feel it bought to the purpose with Doc the place he was having us in observe, simply, Set it. Throw it to Giannis. Giannis, give it again to Dame. All proper, Dame, throw it again. All proper, Giannis, uphill DHO. It was nearly just like the group was laughing at us, simply repping it out again and again.
Then in video games, we ended up being in a number of these actions collectively much more the second half of the yr. I began to see what he was considering, and I feel he began to see what I used to be considering, after which we might discuss it. When you begin to construct chemistry, then I can begin directing somewhat bit extra as a result of we’re extra related, as an alternative of me simply attempting to inform him what I would like him to do [when] we haven’t even actually labored collectively on it. [I was] wanting to provide him the respect of, like, he may need one thing that he desires me to do some bit totally different, nevertheless it’s laborious to determine that out once you’re not in a number of pick-and-rolls collectively. And because the season went on, I began to see how I could make the sport simpler for him, and I feel he began to see what I wanted from him to be free out of the pick-and-roll. And from right here, I feel it’ll proceed to simply get higher.
SLAM: Do you are feeling like persons are overlooking the Bucks heading into this season?
DL: Yeah, I feel persons are undoubtedly [doing that], and that’s how the league is. It’s like, on to the subsequent factor. There are youthful groups on the rise, you’ve groups that made massive free company strikes, groups that made trades, all forms of issues passed off. So clearly that’s going to be what’s attractive. After I bought traded to Milwaukee, it was like, Oh, the Bucks gonna win! Everyone simply jumped on it, ? So when one thing main occurs or one thing massive occurs for a group, particularly if it’s already group, like in fact [that’s the reaction]. Rightfully so, all of these forms of groups are going to be talked about on the prime.
SLAM: On the Membership 520 Podcast, you talked about how consistency tends to get boring for individuals, to the purpose the place it begins to go ignored. Are you able to elaborate on {that a} bit and the way you’ve seen that play out throughout your profession?
DL: I feel early in my profession, I at all times felt like I used to be underappreciated. I had an underdog mentality. Generally even once I was getting credit score, I felt like I wasn’t getting sufficient credit score or they have been ignoring what I used to be doing. After which I feel I reached a degree in my profession the place I began to get acknowledged how I felt I needs to be acknowledged. After which quick ahead to being named to the seventy fifth Anniversary Staff, [that was] like, the final word nod to what my physique of labor has been and the way constant I’ve been since I stepped foot within the NBA.
However on the podcast, I used to be actually simply saying, like, I’m not loud and I’m not saying an excessive amount of and doing all this stuff, however I’m at all times productive. Even in a season like final season the place I really feel like I might have been higher in a number of areas, I nonetheless had a productive season, and we have been nonetheless a profitable group all through the season—a two-seed for just about all the season. I feel individuals simply form of look previous it due to what they assume we needs to be or no matter their private opinions are. However the truth of the matter is, I’ve at all times been productive. That is gonna be my 13th season, and I proceed to simply present up and be productive. And my group is at all times group. Over time, persons are identical to, Yeah, you don’t have a hoop. What’s subsequent? However I feel they get uninterested in the truth that I simply do it again and again and again and again and over. It’s like, Do one thing else. When it’s actually, like, I’m displaying up, placing my greatest foot ahead.
SLAM: We see how a lot enjoyable you’re having together with your youngsters immediately. Are you able to describe the motivation that you simply get from them?
DL: I get a number of motivation from being a dad and from my youngsters as a result of how I used to be raised—like, the ideas and the values that my dad and mom raised me with—having my very own youngsters, now I bought much more pleasure about these issues. There are some mornings the place I gotta work out at 6:30 and I’ll get my youngsters up and produce them in right here. They may have a pill or no matter it’s so they’re entertained and never getting in the way in which, however they’ll sit over there whereas I work out as a result of I would like them to have the ability to see, like, this didn’t simply come out of nowhere. You gotta work laborious for stuff. You gotta do stuff that you simply don’t need to do. Rather a lot goes into the life that you simply guys have. And I would like them, from a younger age, to know what it means to work laborious for issues and sacrifice. I say that to say, they need to see me be the final word instance of what I preach to them.
And the motivation is available in the place, if I’m being criticized, or if I’m struggling, or if one thing makes me uncomfortable, I take into consideration my youngsters once I’m having to answer these forms of conditions. I do know that, particularly with the web and cameras being all over the place, there’s gonna come a day the place my youngsters might be sufficiently old to know like, This was occurring to my dad or, This was what individuals have been saying about my dad, and there can even be proof of how I responded to these issues. Regardless of the state of affairs is, I’ll be the instance for my youngsters and my nephews and nieces, the place they’ll be like, He’s not simply telling us this, there might be proof of, like, That is who I’m. I feel that’ll give them a way of pleasure, as a result of they’ll see it with their very own eyes. And I really feel that means as a result of that’s how I really feel about my dad. He stated all these things to me and I see him stroll that out. In order that’s the form of motivation I’ve. It’s not about—if I win a championship, that’d be nice. That’s a cherry on prime. However the way you characterize your self and what you stand on as a human, I feel that’s most vital. So I get a number of motivation from the alternatives to indicate that even when it’s a tricky or a nasty state of affairs.
Portraits by Gabe Pineda, Victory Inventive Group.
