After an offseason trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, where he spent the first 11 seasons of his NBA career, point guard Damian Lillard made his debut with the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night. He made a good first impression, setting a team record.
Lillard scored a game-high 39 points in Milwaukee’s 118-117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, the most by any player in his Bucks debut.
The previous record was 34, set by Terry Cummings in 1984.
Lillard also had eight rebounds and four assists and went a perfect 17-for-17 from the free-throw line. He scored the final 10 points of the game for Milwaukee.
The seven-time All-Star looked incredibly comfortable in his new home, as the trade rumors are finally behind him for good now. Lillard returns to Portland for the very first time as a member of a team other than the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. a game currently tabbed for a national broadcast on ESPN.
Social media had plenty to say about Dame’s debut.
Bucks podcaster Nathan Marizon was thoroughly impressed by Lillard, saying, “We all know Dame is a killer from outside, but the extremely underrated part of his game is his driving/finishing/foul-drawing ability. It was on full display tonight. Completely changes everything on offense.”
Another fan said they expect this from Lillard all year, saying, “Dame will definitely cook teams this season. Taking off from where he left off last season.”
Another is happy that Lillard is now in a market that is on national TV more often than Portland and also more visible with earlier start times. “Dame Dolla showcasing his talents for a larger viewership almost every week is something that we all needed,” they said.
Another simply said, “It is time for Damian Lillard to prove he is the best player in the league!
About Robert O'Neill