If there’s anyone out there who knows a lot about playing alongside Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard, it has to be CJ McCollum. These two wreaked havoc in the NBA for many years as the Portland Trail Blazers’ one-two punch before they parted ways last year.
McCollum got shipped off to the New Orleans Pelicans in the middle of the 2021-22 season, which marked the end of a fruitful partnership between these two stars. However, this by no means put an end to the relationship they had built off the court.
CJ McCollum Excited for Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard Era
According to McCollum, he and Dame have made an effort to stay connected despite no longer being on the same squad. They built something special during their time together in Portland, and they weren’t going to let distance get in the way of their friendship:
“I have. We talk consistently throughout the season. That’s a good friend of mine,” McCollum said, via Sam Yip of Hoops Hype. “I’m happy for him. Happy for the growth and development in his game. Things that he’s been able to accomplish, and looking forward to watching him play with Giannis.”
As McCollum said, he’s very much looking forward to what Lillard will be able to do in Milwaukee now that he’s joined the Bucks. Dame and CJ were quite an awesome duo together, but even McCollum will admit that Giannis and Lillard are just on a whole different level.
Nothing But Love
McCollum then provided more insight into the type of relationship he has with his former teammate. According to the Pelicans veteran, one of the factors that make their bond so strong is the fact that they actually care for each other:
“We’re legit friends who work hard and both come from small schools,” McCollum continued. “We’re close to our families. We’ll be friends for the rest of our lives. And I think the cool part about our journey is we actually genuinely like each other, which is rare in the sports world.”
I see no lies here.
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