If Damian Lillard has that chance to have a running mate to fulfill a championship run, he is picking in what could be the only fitting one he can choose.
In a short video clip of GQ wherein he did an internet undercover, Lillard named Giannis Antetokounmpo as the player he selects who can try to help him win a title.
“I would pick Giannis,” Lillard said. “I mean, I would say just the dominance, you know. [He’s] somebody that’s going to get to the rim. He’s a good playmaker, a good defender, disruptive – the way he plays complements the way I play. I would bring something to the table that complements what he does and vice versa.”
A Lillard-Antetokounmpo tandem can truly bring a terror in the NBA. With Giannis postering his powerful dominance and all-around effect in the game, these can only mesh well on Lillard’s offensive arsenal, renowned marksmanship and late game takeover.
Both Lillard and Antetokounmpo share some similarities in their career. The two star players had their own humbling emergence out of nowhere while forging their loyalty in two of the most notable small markets in the association amid buzzes and recruitments coming from others.
The outside linkage between the two doesn’t even get too distant. Notably before he inked a supermax extension with the Bucks in 2020 offseason, league insider Chris Haynes reported that both Antetokounmpo and Lillard had discussions of potential pairing, wherein the Blazers were viewed as a “real target” if the two-time MVP had decided to leave Milwaukee.
Two years from now, the Greek Freak made it by finally bringing a championship to the Bucks after 50 years of waiting. As such, Lillard still has that shot with Jerami Grant and budding star Anfernee Simons backing him up to give the Blazers their very own.
Who knows what would unfold in the next several years, but it would be a delight to see both Antetokounmpo and Lillard blazing the floor as teammates and ultimately wear the NBA crown.
