It wasn’t just Giannis Antetokounmpo who made history on Wednesday night after the Milwaukee Bucks superstar went off for a career-high 64 points in a 140-126 win over the Indiana Pacers. Earlier in the game, Damian Lillard also etched his name in the history books by claiming the No. 5 spot for the most 3-pointers made in NBA history.
It was an undeniably special moment for Dame — one that apparently, Lillard himself hopes that he had enjoyed more than he actually did.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Damian Lillard Gets Brutally Honest
Oct 20, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on in the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking to reporters after the game, Lillard spoke openly about what the moment meant to him. The seven-time All-Star confessed that he has a bit of a problem soaking in these types of milestones:
“My mom will tell me — my cousins sometimes they’ll tell me — I need to be happier, I need to appreciate it more,” Lillard said. “But I think that I just get so caught up in the next thing moving forward that I don’t appreciate it until like a year go by and I see a list and I’ll be on it. I’ll be like, ‘Damn, I’m No. 3?’
“… This was no different. Obviously, I acknowledge it and it’s an honor to be in that group with so many great shooters. But as soon as I saw it, I was looking at like, ‘Alright, who’s No. 4 and how many am I behind him?’ So that’s just naturally my thought process until that moment comes that I appreciate it.”
That’s just who Dame is. Not only is he a cool customer by nature but as he said, he’s just more focused on further improving his craft.
In case you were wondering, No. 4 on the list is the great Reggie Miller, who has 2,560 triples to his good name. As of writing, Lillard (2,451) is still 109 treys behind the Indiana Pacers legend.
Dame Didn’t Know
Dec 13, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates with Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) in the fourth quarter after scoring 64 points against the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
As it turns out, Lillard didn’t even know beforehand that he was on the brink of making history. He knew that he was No. 6 all time, but it’s not as if he was counting down his triples as he approached Kyle Korver’s record.
“Leading up to it, I honestly didn’t know how close I was until last game,” Dame said. “I was on the bench and one of the team attendants behind me was like, ‘You need two more.’ And I didn’t know what he was talking about until today. … Nobody said nothing to me about it. Today was when I actually knew I was that close to that record.”
“My mom will tell me — my cousins sometimes they’ll tell me — I need to be happier, I need to appreciate it more.” — Damian Lillard on entering the top five in 3-pointers and not getting caught up on chasing
February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Damian Lillard is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
