Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have only been teammates for a few weeks, but the two top-tier superstars’ friendship is blossoming smoothly. In fact, Giannis has gone so far as to imply that Lillard is a little replica of himself.

Comparisons between the two

Giannis is just as unassuming off the court as he is on it. When the game is complete, he avoids the attention by returning home to be with his family. Lillard is known as one of the league’s more humble stars, despite his offensive pyrotechnics and famous clutch shots. Giannis sees this as a point of connection between himself and the man known as “Dame Time.”

“I feel like it’s a little version of me,” Antetokounmpo added. “The guard version… Quiet. He goes about his work. He looks after his family. Arrives on time. He works quite hard in practice. When he needs to be vocal, he assists his teammates.”

While Giannis and Lillard have seen one other’s work, they are still getting to know one another as colleagues and possibly as friends. They’ll need time to develop a bond and understanding, just like any other relationship, but the early returns show the Bucks may have something unique.

Do this all night long

Lillard is identifying things that they can exploit in every game two games into their alliance with the Bucks. Teams frequently rush him on pick-and-rolls because of his amazing shooting ability, which makes him a threat the moment he crosses halfcourt. Dame understands these scenarios and either gives the ball to Giannis for an easy score or kicks the ball out to one of the Bucks’ outside shooters.

“The first couple of plays, they blitz me, trap me, and the guy I’m releasing the ball to is Giannis.” “So I’m just like, ‘Uh, we can do this all night.’ You know what I mean?” Lillard explained.