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Bucks' Lillard Names His Top 5 Favorite NBA Players Right Now

On the Club 520 podcast, Damian Lillard name dropped his teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo while naming his current top-five list of favorite NBA players.

Cody Smith

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Damian Lillard (0) during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Fiserv Forum.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Damian Lillard (0) during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Fiserv Forum. / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
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MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The debut of the dynamic duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard didn't go according to plan for the Milwaukee Bucks last year, but they are more focused than ever on turning things around ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

The duo seemingly complements each other perfectly on the court, and both still have incredible talent that makes them some of the top stars in the NBA. Despite an underwhelming first stint together that was partly derailed by injuries, the motivation to find ways to make things work shows no signs of wavering as Lillard once again voiced high praise for his running mate in Milwaukee.

When Lillard was recently asked about his top-five favorite current NBA players on the Club 520 podcast, Lillard named Antetokounmpo alongside other stars like Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

Lillard's first mention was Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who had a breakout fourth season on his way to leading his team to the Western Conference finals this past postseason.

"I think everybody is super high on him right now, but I like him because of his energy," Lillard said of Edwards at the 1:08.38 mark of the podcast. "His swag about him is authentic, and he has the game to go with it."

Lillard then went on to highlight Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who missed most of last season due to injury and a suspension. Morant missed 25 games for a suspension in 2023-2024 and then only played nine games afterward before a torn labrum in his right shoulder sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

"He got into some trouble and so I think people kind of turned off by him, but I know what I'm looking at," Lillard said of Morant.

Lillard didn't add any insight as to why he chose Doncic, Jokic and Antetokounmpo, but you can best believe their individual games speak volumes. All three hoopers have a clear-cut case as to being a part of the top-five players within the NBA.

It's quite obvious why one could easily think that it was a no-brainer decision for Lillard to mention his Bucks co-star, but at the end of the day he still didn't have to. This wasn't in front of reporters or in front of the national media. Instead, it was on a laid-back podcast hosted by former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague and friends.

Whether Lillard felt obligated to mention Antetokounmpo or not, he has been able to spend countless hours with his co-star over this past season. During that time as a member of the Bucks, Lillard has been exposed to the Greek Freak's work ethic and sense of humor, allowing him to get a great sense as to what makes his co-star so great to watch.

Going forward into 2024-25, both stars share the championship mindset of bringing another title back to the city of Milwaukee.

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Cody Smith
CODY SMITH

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