Milwaukee Bucks news: When Damian Lillard first demanded to be traded to the Miami Heat, his relationship with Jimmy Butler was highlighted as one of the biggest reasons behind Dame’s desire to play in South Beach. At the same time, Lillard was also close friends with Bam Adebayo, who supposedly played an integral role in pushing Miami’s pursuit of the seven-time All-NBA guard.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Damian Lillard Speaks Out on Bam Adebayo’s Role
In a recent interview, Lillard finally addressed the rumors surrounding Adebayo’s involvement in the failed trade to Miami. Dame was quick to play down the narrative:
“I think on the outside, people made more of it than what was actually taking place,” Lillard said, via Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “It’s not like I was calling him every day or nothing like that. I said what I needed to say to the team that I was on at that time and I went on about my time. I did my training, I spent time with kids and that was it. I’m telling you the real when I say it’s not that deep. Bam was my boy before I asked for a trade, he still is and that was the extent of it.”
It’s no secret that Adebayo wanted Lillard in Miami. These two go way back from their time with Team USA during the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
However, at the end of the day, they are both professionals. It’s not as if Adebayo barged into Miami’s front office to demand that they trade for Lillard. As Dame said, he also wasn’t in constant communication with his buddy throughout the saga.
At this point, both players have moved on from what could have been an incredible team-up between them. Such are the breaks of the game.
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