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 12 months 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 a lot of the summer season, holding issues, in his phrases, “actually easy.”
Every thing he wants is right here, together with a state-of-the-art fitness center, the place we’ve set as much as shoot the duvet of SLAM 252. Behind one basket, stretching the complete 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 vital moments in Lillard’s life and profession encompass the courtroom—of household and pals, of award ceremonies and celebrations, of dunks and game-winners. “All a part of the story,” he says.
SLAM 252 that includes Damian Lillard is accessible now.
A 12 months in the past, Lillard wasn’t positive the place the following 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 practice as rigorously as he likes to—realizing that an harm would compromise negotiations. He waited three months till the take care of Milwaukee was executed, leaving him with only a few days to pack his baggage and alter to his new scenario 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 in a position to give attention to his coaching, embracing a holistic method that features a strict anti-inflammatory weight-reduction plan. He even spent 4 days in Las Vegas understanding with retired Navy SEAL David Goggins.
Because the 2024-25 season looms, Lillard is ready in a approach that wasn’t doable final September, each bodily and mentally. Right here, he displays on the previous 12 months, his transition to Milwaukee, constructing chemistry with Giannis Antetokounmpo and rather 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 during the last two-and-a-half years about getting collectively and coaching. And he would at all times inform me, like, ‘Man, I may take you to the following 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 positively a problem bodily. Lots of these workouts and conditioning drills that he pushes you thru are a problem. It pushes you previous your limits. However I believe it was extra of a psychological factor than something. You understand how laborious it’s to do these issues, after which he’s continually 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 whole lot 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 stored saying, ‘Don’t simply survive, you gotta conquer it.’ And the truth that I used to be ready to do this, I believe 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 staff that folks on the surface are inclined to overlook?
DL: I believe the primary factor folks don’t perceive is the change that it’s for the individual—the change that comes with choosing up and going into a brand new setting. Typically you allow one job for one more job and also you may need to relocate, however lots of people go job to job domestically. They don’t must pack up their lives and go to a very completely 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 someone new. And never simply having to—being anticipated to work collectively and determine it out instantly. And I believe that’s one thing folks 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 finest and the way that works for everyone, as a result of there are a whole lot of guys which have to have the ability to do what they do finest and be ready to succeed for the staff to succeed. So I believe lots of people take a look at two [people], they usually don’t take a look at the large image of the complete staff.
SLAM: Now that you simply’ve been in a position to get settled a bit in Milwaukee, is there a degree of consolation and peace that you simply assume will translate to the courtroom?
DL: I positively assume there’s. Like I mentioned, having the ability to come again and do every part to organize myself to the very best of my skill 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 weight-reduction plan—all of these issues are nice for me bodily however having 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 these items. I spent a whole lot of time with the people 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 whole lot of time round one another. And I believe that that did me very effectively this summer season. So going again realizing that I’m bodily ready and I’m mentally ready and it’s a extra acquainted scenario. We gained some stability with [head coach] Doc [Rivers]. Understanding who I’m gonna go play for, having a significantly better understanding of the staff, realizing guys now—I imply, it’s simply completely different. And all of these issues give me a distinct degree of peace going into it than I ever may’ve had final 12 months.
SLAM: You talked final 12 months in regards to the problem of determining who you’re on the Bucks. With a 12 months beneath your belt, have you ever figured it out?
DL: I believe I positively have a significantly better thought 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 having the ability to step away and look again, I’ve a significantly better thought what is critical for me. I do know that I don’t must play the identical kind of sport that I performed for the primary 11 years of my profession, however I believe my mentality must be what my mentality has at all times been. As an alternative of attempting to come back and overly slot in, I believe I used to be introduced in to be who I’m. I spent an excessive amount of time attempting to ease my approach into, What does it appear to be?, as an alternative of simply asserting myself and being who I’m. Trying again now and in addition being there for a while, I believe my understanding of that’s significantly better.
SLAM: How has your relationship and chemistry with Giannis developed and the place is it at now?
DL: I believe it developed nice over the course of the season. He’s not a brilliant talkative individual and I’m not a brilliant talkative individual myself. Over time, I’ve turn into [more outspoken] the extra that I begin to construct relationships with folks, particularly on the staff. And I believe because the season went on, me and him positively began to speak increasingly, and I began to come back to his home to do conditioning or work out collectively. We’re on the cellphone. I’m sending him clips and stuff like that. And this summer season, we’ve been in fixed communication. We each know that we want one another. I believe he’s excited coming into the season similar to I’m, as a result of we grew to become quite a bit nearer because the season went on and we began to be taught [about] one another quite a bit higher. So having a full offseason of being linked to one another and having the ability to go into this subsequent season, I believe 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 begin the 12 months, we simply weren’t in a whole lot 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 whole lot of pick-and-rolls. One of the simplest ways to get chemistry in pick-and-rolls is to be in a whole lot of pick-and-rolls collectively. And I believe it bought to the purpose with Doc the place he was having us in follow, 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 staff was laughing at us, simply repping it out again and again.
Then in video games, we ended up being in a whole lot of these actions collectively much more the second half of the 12 months. I began to see what he was pondering, and I believe he began to see what I used to be pondering, after which we’d speak about it. When you begin to construct chemistry, then I can begin directing somewhat bit extra as a result of we’re extra linked, 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 offer him the respect of, like, he may need one thing that he desires me to do some bit completely different, however it’s laborious to determine that out if you’re not in a whole lot 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 believe he began to see what I wanted from him to be free out of the pick-and-roll. And from right here, I believe it’ll proceed to only get higher.
SLAM: Do you’re feeling like individuals are overlooking the Bucks heading into this season?
DL: Yeah, I believe individuals are positively [doing that], and that’s how the league is. It’s like, on to the following factor. There are youthful groups on the rise, you will have groups that made large free company strikes, groups that made trades, all varieties of issues befell. So clearly that’s going to be what’s horny. Once I bought traded to Milwaukee, it was like, Oh, the Bucks gonna win! Everyone simply jumped on it, you realize? So when one thing main occurs or one thing large occurs for a staff, particularly if it’s already a superb staff, like in fact [that’s the reaction]. Rightfully so, all of these varieties of groups are going to be talked about on the high.
SLAM: On the Membership 520 Podcast, you talked about how consistency tends to get boring for folks, to the purpose the place it begins to go missed. Are you able to elaborate on {that a} bit and the way you’ve seen that play out throughout your profession?
DL: I believe early in my profession, I at all times felt like I used to be underappreciated. I had an underdog mentality. Typically 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 believe I reached a degree in my profession the place I began to get acknowledged how I felt I ought to be acknowledged. After which quick ahead to being named to the seventy fifth Anniversary Workforce, [that was] like, the last 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 these items, however I’m at all times productive. Even in a season like final season the place I really feel like I may have been higher in a whole lot of areas, I nonetheless had a productive season, and we have been nonetheless a profitable staff all through the season—a two-seed for just about the complete season. I believe folks simply type of look previous it due to what they assume we ought to be or no matter their private opinions are. However the reality of the matter is, I’ve at all times been productive. That is gonna be my thirteenth season, and I proceed to only present up and be productive. And my staff is at all times a superb staff. Over time, individuals are similar to, Yeah, you don’t have a hoop. What’s subsequent? However I believe 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 finest foot ahead.
SLAM: We see how a lot enjoyable you’re having together with your youngsters as we speak. Are you able to describe the motivation that you simply get from them?
DL: I get a whole lot 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 mother and father raised me with—having my very own youngsters, now I bought much more delight about these issues. There are some mornings the place I gotta work out at 6:30 and I’ll get my youngsters up and convey them in right here. They could have a pill or no matter it’s so they’re entertained and never getting in the best way, 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 grasp what it means to work laborious for issues and sacrifice. I say that to say, they must see me be the last 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 reply to these varieties of conditions. I do know that, particularly with the web and cameras being in every single place, there’s gonna come a day the place my youngsters might be sufficiently old to grasp like, This was taking place to my dad or, This was what folks have been saying about my dad, and there can even be proof of how I responded to these issues. Regardless of the scenario 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 believe that’ll give them a way of delight, as a result of they’ll see it with their very own eyes. And I really feel that approach as a result of that’s how I really feel about my dad. He mentioned all these items to me and I see him stroll that out. In order that’s the type of motivation I’ve. It’s not about—if I win a championship, that’d be nice. That’s a cherry on high. However the way you signify your self and what you stand on as a human, I believe that’s most vital. So I get a whole lot of motivation from the alternatives to point out that even when it’s a troublesome or a foul scenario.
Portraits by Gabe Pineda, Victory Artistic Group.
