According to reports, Damian Lillard found out about his trade to the Milwaukee Bucks just 16 minutes before the news went public. It’s not as if the seven-time All-Star was totally kept in the dark throughout the negotiation period, but it still came as quite a shock for him considering how it was the Miami Heat that was his preferred trade destination.
The Moment Damian Lillard Found Out About Milwaukee Bucks Trade
In a recent interview, Lillard relived the exact moment he found out about the blockbuster trade. This was reportedly around 1 p.m. CT on September 27. The news of the blockbuster trade broke at around 1:16 p.m.
“I was just kind of sitting there in my man cave,” he said, via Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I didn’t know what was really going to happen. I started to think like, man, it might get to training camp and I might just be sitting and waiting. And then I got that call from my agent and it was like, man, you’re getting traded to Milwaukee. And I had heard so many different things and it’s like, am I really getting traded? He’s like yeah, they traded you. And I could tell in the seriousness of his voice that it was real. He was like, I’ll let you sit with for a while. I’ll call you back, I’m going to settle some things and we’ll talk about it.”
As Lillard said, he was already thinking about what training camp would be like with the Portland Trail Blazers following a drama-filled summer. Thankfully for him, he did not have to go through that awkward stage.
Panic Started to Set In
While it was his desire to leave Portland, it still felt like he got hit by a freight train the moment he knew it was official. Lillard had spent 11 years in the city and with the organization, and it was never going to be easy to leave.
“After we got off the phone, I sat there and I was like, I’m really moving on,” Dame said. “It became reality for me. I kind of just started to think, my entire family is here. How am I going to pack everything up? I started to panic a little bit. It’s the first time. Then I wanted to let my family know, so I started walking around the house and nobody was there. Everybody was out doing something. I’m calling people and nobody’s picking up the phone. I was like, man, any other time I’d be able to reach whoever I need to. So, I had to sit with it by myself for a while. So when that happened, I just went back to the man cave and I sat there, and that’s when the calls started coming in. My friends, family members, like is it real? Is it true?
“Then, I started to think about the team. It was like, who did I get traded for? Who’s going to be there?”
As Dame recalled, a bit of panic set in the moment he realized that it was actually time to go. He also couldn’t reach anyone to talk about it, which left him all alone as the gravity of the situation sunk in.
At the end of the day, this was exactly what he wanted, and he got to savor the moment all by his lonesome.
For More Wisconsin Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. Also, check out our Merchandise Here! Get 20% off with the code “WSH.” You can also reach out to Paolo Songco via email at pao.songco@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers.
