It has been nearly a decade since Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard entered the league. Selected as the No. 6 overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA Draft, Dame was expected to take the league by storm.
Well, he wasted no time making a name for himself as he came into the NBA Summer League to prove a point.
Milwaukee Bucks News: Damian Lillard Looks Back at Summer League Experience
Dame remembers his Summer League experience well. So does Austin Rivers, who happens to be the son of Bucks head coach Doc Rivers.
Lillard and Rivers were two of the biggest names of their draft class, and both of them knew what was at stake in their first-ever NBA showdown. As expected, the two went toe-to-toe in what turned out to be an unforgettable duel.
Reflecting on his mentality entering that game some eight years ago, Dame remembers thinking, “I don’t have no friends here.”
"[Damian Lillard] just seemed like a natural NBA player from the get and, unfortunately, I was the first game." 😅
Austin Rivers and Damian Lillard reflect on their first NBA Summer League experience pic.twitter.com/cKN3Gr0LCc
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 5, 2024
Rivers came to play as well, but even he has admitted that it was Lillard who stole the show. The same would be the case for their respective careers with Dame’s taking a more significant ascent to the top.
Dame will now be entering Year 12 of what has been a decorated career, and he will be out to prove that he still remains one of the top guards in the game today.
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