Milwaukee Bucks star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo played just two seasons with Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard. But in those two years, the duo struck up a great bond, tantalizing the crowd with incredible plays on the court and enjoying their time off it.
During the offseason, the Bucks made a difficult decision to waive Lillard’s remaining contract, which resulted in the former Portland star joining the Trail Blazers again on a three-year, $42 million deal. While Lillard has switched conferences, his friendship with Antetokounmpo remains intact, as the latter recently sent the former a heartfelt present.
What Present Did Giannis Antetokounmpo Send to Damian Lillard?
Antetokounmpo sent his former Bucks teammate a pair of signed pink-colored shoes. Lillard then shared a snapshot of the shoes on his Instagram story, with a caption that read, “@giannis_an34 far too kind my African brother…”
Giannis sent Dame some signed shoes ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FotaO6kLdE
— Nathan Marzion (@nathanmarzion) October 14, 2025
In the two seasons that Antetokounmpo and Lillard played together as teammates, the Bucks were eliminated in round 1 of the playoffs. Both times, Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers defeated the Bucks in the postseason. Since the Bucks last won the NBA championship in 2021, they have failed to get past round 1 of the playoffs thrice.
After the championship season, the Bucks staked bold claims in defending their title. At the same time, they failed to contend for the title in two successive seasons. They entered the market to finalize an incredible three-team trade deal, which allowed them to acquire nine-time All-Star Trailblazers guard Lillard.
But things didn’t go as planned in the following two years as well, and as a result, the Bucks waived off Lillard’s contract and created space to sign Myles Turner from free agency during the offseason.
With Turner, the Bucks believe there can be a shift in the positive direction, as they can play the two big men (Antetokounmpo being the other) together for better offense, physical strength up front, and enhanced defense.
To make their star man feel better after four successive early exits in recent years, the Bucks signed both Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo for the upcoming NBA season.
What Did Giannis Say About His Homeland?
In a recent interview, the Greek superstar reflected on his intention to permanently shift base to Greece and end his professional career there.
Antetokounmpo said, “I’m 30 years old and can play in the NBA until I’m around 37 or 38. I don’t want to live in the United States. As soon as I leave the NBA, I want to return to Greece. I might finish my career in Greece — with a team like Filathlitikos, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, or Aris.”
The Bucks finished their preseason tenure 3-1 and will now play their season opener against the Washington Wizards at Fiserv Forum on October 22.
