Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard 2023 All-Star Draft Moment Goes Viral After Trade

The two starts have always wanted to play together.

At 2023 NBA All-Star weekend this past February in Salt Lake City, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo were chosen as the two team captains for the player draft.

Antetokounmpo had the first pick and many expected him to select his then Bucks teammate, point guard Jrue Holiday. Instead, Antetokounmpo surprised everyone in the building, including James, when he selected Portland star Damian Lillard.

“Giannis has changed this weekend,” James said jokingly at the time. “He always talks about loyalty, to being loyal, all that stuff, right? So I knew for sure his first pick was gonna be Jrue. So I don’t know what’s going on with Giannis, but OK, OK, messing my whole draft board up now.”

Here’s that moment:

Watch this moment from last season’s All-Star Draft.

Giannis picks Dame with his first pick instead of Jrue. LeBron smells fish and calls it out. pic.twitter.com/I1nQW9uwfj

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) September 27, 2023

That clip went viral after Lillard was traded to the Bucks on Wednesday, and NBA fans had a lot to say about it: 

Is this the "tampering" that Butler is crying about with the Dame trade? 🤣 https://t.co/SUbXuwFy9T

— BioBoss21 (@BioBoss21) September 27, 2023

The nba writers have not been on strike I can tell you that much https://t.co/gzNGz2RLGb

— Darnell (@champagneyawdii) September 27, 2023

Nahhh Bron seen it coming lmaooo https://t.co/cD7yJOxZOG

— Champ (@Da_Don_Dada_) September 27, 2023

The scriptwriters foreshadowed it https://t.co/P9gzSTnQVn pic.twitter.com/1DH8zsUn8Y

— Obi🇨🇲🇳🇱 (@DifonMD) September 27, 2023

Giannis real sneaky, he just nice with it 😂😂 https://t.co/0RUKAZ2UEO

— Onyi🌹 (@NyekaElanElite) September 27, 2023