Damian Lillard, the newest addition to the Milwaukee Bucks, recently made his preseason debut against the Los Angeles Lakers, securing a 108-97 victory for his team.
Even though four-time NBA champion LeBron James, who is entering his 21st season as the oldest player in the league, did not play, Lillard was asked about him postgame.
Following the game, Lillard shared his thoughts on James. The Bucks star recounted, “I remember being in, I think I was in eighth grade or something like that when Bron came out. Just that type of hype. I remember how hyped up he was at that time. We were watching him on ESPN back then.”
Moreover, Lillard expressed deep admiration for James’ ability to withstand the relentless pressure and scrutiny that come with being a superstar athlete.
“So to have that type of hype and to live up to it and then some with that type of pressure and to come out of the all-time leading scorer in this league, to win how he’s won, to be scrutinized as he is and has been and to still a lot of times he’s just letting it roll off not addressing every single thing. I can just respect how he doesn’t handle all of these things since he was a teenager in a weak way,” Lillard said.
Acknowledging the demands and expectations faced by professional athletes, Lillard emphasized the exceptional journey James has embarked on since his teenage years, reaching the pinnacle of the sport and maintaining his dominance over the years.
Lillard predicted that James’ legacy would be held in even higher regard when all is said and done, not only by those within the basketball community but also by fans who have witnessed his remarkable career unfold.
“A lot of us we deal with pressure as well to perform and to do what we do, but when you think about him being a teenager and now he’s close to 40 and he’s been at the top of his game since,” he said. “And the way he’s done it and kind of risen to the occasion, I guess all these years I think that’s a special thing.
“I think people will look back at that body of work over 20 years or however long it’s been and when it’s over with, I think they’ll have more respect for it.
“They guys who are in it like I am and the rest of us who do this job and got to put our bodies through it and got to deal with the pressure and have to perform and all these things to go along with our personal lives, I think people like us respect it.
“But when it’s over with, I think you guys and people, fans that just have watched it happen, they’ll respect it more later.”
