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[Saba Sports] Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers recently shed light on Damian Lillard’s challenging first season in Wisconsin.
Appearing on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Rivers shared a conversation with the 8-time All-Star earlier in the season. Rivers revealed that Lillard was “in the worst shape of my life” heading into his first Bucks campaign.
“We were at dinner, and he said, ‘Coach, I didn’t work out all summer. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve not worked out. I was so scared of getting injured working out.’ He knew he was gonna get traded,” Rivers told Simmons.
“He said, ‘I did some light running and shooting with no one in the gym, but I didn’t go hard at all.’ … He was honest about it, and that’s one of the reasons you love him. He said, ‘This is the worst shape I’ve ever been in.’”
Lillard’s performance during his debut season with the Bucks reflected his poor conditioning. His 24.3 points per game on 42.4% shooting from the field and 35.4% from three were among the worst stats of his 12-year career.
In contrast, Lillard averaged 32.2 points on 46.3% shooting from the floor and 37.1% from deep in his final season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Additionally, Lillard faced personal issues before moving to Milwaukee, including marital problems and filing for divorce just days after the trade. He and his wife, college sweethearts, share three children.