Bucks Zone

Damian Lillard says throwing lobs to Giannis Antetokounmpo is like a “cheat code”

Damian Lillard is getting the hang of playing with Giannis.

Jonas Panerio

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Damian Lillard has only played with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in practice, and so far, he reports the experience has been incredible, saying that throwing lobs to the "Greek Freak" is like a "cheat code."

Building rapport

Lillard and Giannis have yet to play on an NBA floor together as members of the Milwaukee Bucks. However, training camp has provided the two superstars an opportunity to build rapport and chemistry on and off the floor. This is good news for the Bucks as they prepare for the upcoming season. Lillard's praise of his teammate only further solidifies the potential of a successful on-court partnership between the two All-Stars.

“There’s one play that I think of off the top of my head,” Lillard said. “It was in practice, and I come off of a screen, and the guy is fronting him. And I’m looking at it like obviously I can get it to him, but the weakside defender is there on the opposite block, and I’m like, ‘I don’t want them to get it.’

“And he’s just standing there like (acts out Antetokounmpo pointing to the sky), so I just throw it up. And in his head, he’s thinking like, ‘Nobody’s going to get the ball if you throw it up there. I’m going to get it before anybody else gets it.’ So that was different for me. And I threw it up. He jumped up, caught it, turned, and he just two-hand dunked it real quick. And it was like, ‘I’ve never played with nobody that’s capable of that,'" Lillard added.

It's almost unfair

Lillard knows how impressive Giannis is. Whether it's from the numerous clashes on the floor to team-ups in All-Star games, he knows the type of talent and athleticism that Giannis possesses. However, it hit differently when Lillard got a spot behind the curtain and bore witness to the work ethic, skill, and dexterity of the "Greek Freak."

“So, it’s just different because it was like, that’s a cheat code. To just be able to throw a ball up and have somebody be coordinated enough to hold his guy off, go up, catch it, come down on balance, go up and no dribble, no step and dunk it, you know, over people. So, I mean, it’s … it’s definitely different, man.”

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO