Bucks' Damian Lillard: 'I Don't Have Much of a Life' in Milwaukee Since Trade

Damian Lillard's life in Milwaukee is pretty different than it was in Portland.

The Milwaukee Bucks point guard opened up about what things have been like in the Cream City since being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, and it doesn't sound like he has been doing much outside basketball.

"Bro, go to practice, go home, watch boxing, play video games. Man, I type in [boxing website] FightHype on YouTube 100 times and be praying for something new to be on there," Lillard told Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. "Seriously, I don't have much of a life. But that's what comes with making a big-boy decision. You got to be down for that and figure it out."

Lillard spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Trail Blazers before requesting a trade in hopes of contending for an NBA title.

But contending for a championship comes with a price in this case, and the 33-year-old told Mannix that it has been "lonely" in Milwaukee because his family and friends live in Portland and aren't always in town:

"It's definitely lonely because I'm such a family guy. My life is my family. After games, I would come out and my whole family would be back there. My kids coming out of the playroom. My mom, my brother, my cousins lived there, you know what I mean? My best friends live in Portland. So I would come out, we would go to dinner. They might come to my house. After practice, I might go to my mom's house and just chill. That's how my life was. So, I mean, I'm fine because I'm grown. But it's definitely lonely. I'm filled up by those people."

Spending that many seasons with one team is rare, and Lillard also admitted to Mannix that the transition to Milwaukee hasn't been easy as he tries to adapt his game alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"Obviously, trying to figure out me pairing with Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and being a part of this team. It's a process and I think that's been an adjustment for both of us," Lillard said. "He's used to playing a certain way. I'm used to playing a certain way, and I think we've had moments. I just think it's still a work in progress."

While the duo of Lillard and Antetokounmpo struggled out of the gate, they've improved as the season has continued.

Lillard's numbers are down across the board, but that's likely because he's not Milwaukee's primary scoring option like he was in Portland. Through 53 games, he's averaging 24.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists while shooting 42.3 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent from deep.

With the Bucks sitting third in the Eastern Conference with a 37-21 record and likely to make the playoffs, barring an unforeseen turn of events, Lillard will likely continue to focus on developing chemistry with Antetokounmpo and his other teammates.