Did LeBron James know Bucks were going to trade for Damian Lillard?
Dec 9, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) warms-up prior to the game against the Memphis Grizzles at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Damian Lillard was traded by the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a blockbuster 3-team trade on Wednesday. One NBA superstar may have seen such a trade coming.
During last season’s draft to decide the All-Star teams, team captain LeBron James noticed that opposing captain Giannis Antetokounmpo veered from his typical behavior. Rather than select his Milwaukee Bucks teammate Jrue Holiday with the No. 1 pick, Antetokounmpo selected Lillard.
James was thrown for a loop.
Watch this moment from last season’s All-Star Draft.
Giannis picks Dame with his first pick instead of Jrue. LeBron smells fish and calls it out. pic.twitter.com/I1nQW9uwfj
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) September 27, 2023
“See, Giannis has changed this weekend. You know he always talk about loyalty, being loyal, all that stuff, right? So I knew for sure his first pick was going to be Jrue. So I don’t know what’s going on with Giannis,” James said while pointing a suspicious finger at Antetokounmpo.
James seemed to realize that Giannis was up to something. And James seemed to be exactly right.
In hindsight, Antetokounmpo may have been trying to send a message to Lillard and get his crush’s attention. Six months later, the move paid off.
When he requested a trade from Portland, Lillard was said to have been singularly focused on a trade to the Miami Heat, but he eventually accepted a deal to Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo drafting him first in the All-Star Game probably didn’t hurt relations between the two players. James recognized it before anyone else.