A big talking point of the Milwaukee Bucks' collapse had to do with Damian Lillard. After a lot of fans expected him to go to South Beach, he instead ended up pairing up with Giannis Antetokounmpo. While the prospect of being with one of the best players in the world is great, it necessitated him to move to the Midwest. It apparently made him a bit lonely but guys like Bobby Portis were oblivious to this. He didn't find out after their NBA Playoffs run came crashing down.
Bobby Portis can't believe it
Getting used to a new environment is never easy. Damian Lillard has spent all his career with the Portland Trail Blazers and has probably formed a bond with the community there. When reports kept coming in about his loneliness, a lot of fans and media personnel overreacted quite a bit. It eventually got solved, whether it was by winning more with Giannis Antetokounmpo or any other factors.
That news cycle eventually passed and ran its course through Bucks media. However, some members of Doc Rivers' squad don't seem to know that this happened. Bobby Portis was one of these guys, via the Run It Back Show.
“He said he was lonely in Milwaukee? I guess I don’t know man, I’m not going to say he was lonely. He said he was lonely. No, he didn’t bro,” the Bucks big man said while being left puzzled.
Lou Williams and Chandler Parsons had to step in such that they could clarify that this did happen. Parsons even joked about how Dame was supposedly upset because he wasn't invited to the kids' birthday parties for his Bucks teammates' kids.
Eventually, Bobby Portis accepted the fact and understood why their star guard felt that way in Milwaukee. He even dropped a reference to Shams Charania.
“Oh my gosh. It probably was too cold out there at first. You know how it is in the Midwest man, you know. Shams has been living in the Midwest his whole life. He’s a Midwest guy man, he’s a Chicago guy man. You know how it is, that Lake Michigan man. It might bring you to tears you walking outside man,” he said.
Damian Lillard's loneliness in the Bucks system
Dame's sacrifices such that he could be with Giannis Antetokounmpo were big. At first, it was just about missing family then it devolved into not being able to find any entertainment after Bucks games and practices.
“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 are coming out of the playroom. My mom, my brother, my cousins lived there. You know what I mean? My best friends live in Portland,” the Bucks' star guard said.
So, what did he do to keep himself company? Well, watching boxing was one of those cures.
“Bro, go to practice, go home, watch boxing, play video games. Man, I type in FightHype on YouTube 100 times and am praying for something new to be on there. 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,” he unveiled.
Has this problem been solved in Milwaukee?