This week, Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard made an appearance on the Club 520 Podcast, covering myriad topics. For fans who’ve wondered the eight-time All-Star’s favorite players are, this was their chance.
“I say right now, ‘cause if we say period, it’s a lot of people I can’t leave off the list,” Lillard begins.
The 12-year veteran then named Minnesota Timberwolves wing Anthony Edwards, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo as his current five favorite players.
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“Like, when I’m watching, that’s my five right now…,” he explains.
Bucks’ Damian Lillard Reveals 5 Favorite Players
Anthony Edwards
“So right now I’ma go Anthony Edwards,” Lillard tells the Club 520 Podcast. “I think everybody’s super high on him right now. But I like him ‘cause his energy, like his swag about him is authentic and he got the game to go with it.”
As Lillard notes, Edwards has a magnetic charisma and passion. For some, he’s a cultural icon; a cult hero of sorts. A native of Atlanta, the young star doesn’t hesitate to let people know where his hometown is. However, he’s not just popular because of his personality.
Edwards is among the best players in the NBA; an MVP-caliber talent who has helped turned the Timberwolves into a team to watch. He has all the tools to excel at either end of the floor and the mentality for it too. As he continues to develop, the sky is the limit.
Ja Morant
“…I’ma go Ja Morant,” Lillard continues.
“You know, he got in some trouble. So, I think people kind of turned off to him a little bit. But, I mean, I know what I’m looking at.”
Lillard is right to believe that Morant’s popularity has declined since his legal troubles. However, it’s inaccurate to suggest that it’s simply because he hasn’t been on the straight and narrow. After all, from Charles Barkley to Michael Beasley, many players retain their popularity despite their propensity for rule-breaking.
Morant’s issues were magnified by people’s perception that a person with his upbringing should behave differently. Indeed, while Edwards’s personality is considered to be his natural self, Morant’s is viewed as a tragedy at best and a facade at worst. Wherever the truth may lie, his off-court problems haven’t been good for his career.
Still, Morant’s an exceptional player. He’s lightning-quick, ultra-confident, and a true floor general to boot. The league is ultimately in a better place with him in it.
The Others
“Luka… Joker and… Giannis” rounded out the rest of Lillard’s current five favorite players. Interestingly, these three are considered to be the three best international players in the NBA.
Doncic is another prodigious talent. Even more importantly, he raises his game in the playoffs. In 50 career postseason games, he’s averaged 30.9 points, the second-highest mark in NBA history. One of the most well-rounded players in the NBA, he’s added 9.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
Jokic is enjoying a reign atop the NBA, winning three of the last four MVP awards. In that time, he also led the Nuggets to their first championship in franchise history. A high IQ playmaker who makes the impossible look routine, the Big Joker is Denver’s trump card. This may surprise some fans who believed Antetokounmpo would be considered the best player in the league though.
Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP who has won a Defensive Player of the Year award and an NBA championship. Frankly, he’s more decorated than not just Doncic, but Jokic as well. Yet, where Doncic and Jokic dominate with all but sheer skill, Antetokounmpo’s been able to lean on his athleticism.
This shouldn’t diminish the fact that he’s a force to be reckoned with at both ends. Furthermore, he’s taken strides as a playmaker and jump shooter. Nonetheless, fans that want to see more low-post or perimeter skill may have developed a bit of Greek Freaktigue.
