Former teammates Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo had a reunion as the Portland Trail Blazers visited the Milwaukee Bucks, with the two All-Stars getting together before the game got underway.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo Catch Up In First Meeting Since Milwaukee’s Release of Star Guard In Offseason
On Monday, November 24, the court at FiServe Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the scene of a lovely reunion between Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. It was the first time the two had gotten together since Lillard’s surprising departure from Milwaukee during the summer.
Giannis and Dame pregame. 🤝 pic.twitter.com/NXJzqhzmaw
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 24, 2025
The fun moment was captured on video and shared by the Bucks in a social media post. Antetokounmpo is seen heading over to greet Lillard during a shootaround before the game, as Lillard was having a seat on the bench alongside Bucks assistant coach Vin Baker and Giannis’ brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo.
The two All-Stars were teammates until this past offseason, when Milwaukee moved to let Lillard go by waiving and stretching his contract. The roster move was made to bring in free-agent center Myles Turner, whom the team lured away from its conference rival, the Indiana Pacers. Lillard would return to Portland on a three-year, $42 million deal.
Lillard joined the Bucks in a blockbuster three-team deal in September 2023, which included the Phoenix Suns, going to Milwaukee, while Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Ayton, Toumani Camara, and Milwaukee’s 2029 unprotected first-round draft pick, along with Milwaukee’s 2028 and 2030 unprotected swap rights, went to Portland. Phoenix received Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson in that deal.
The two years Lillard and Antetokounmpo spent together were marred by injuries and inconsistency. The Bucks would make the playoffs both years, but lose to the Pacers in the first round. The 2025 postseason was particularly upsetting, as Lillard suffered an Achilles injury during that series.
That injury ruled Lillard out for the 2025-2026 season, with no indication of an early return, adding to the burden that the Trail Blazers are currently facing. The team is in ninth place in the Western Conference with a 7-10 record. They are also without their head coach, Chauncey Billups, as he is out indefinitely while facing federal charges on illegal gambling.
As for Antetokounmpo, his 2025 season has been turbulent so far, as he is expected to miss the game against Portland while recovering from a groin injury. In the 13 games he’s played so far this season, he has maintained his superstar performance, netting 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Despite the injury issues both players are experiencing, it is nice to see the genuine care and respect the two have for each other in a moment like this. It also shows just how much love Lillard still has for members of the Bucks association.
