The 2023 NBA offseason was far from easy for Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard. From a basketball standpoint, Lillard was waiting for a potential trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, which eventually came just days before training camp.
And according to Bucks head coach Doc Rivers on a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Lillard admitted that he began the 2023-24 NBA season in the “worst shape” of his life.
“I didn’t even realize Dame was traded two or three days before training camp. … 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,'” Rivers said Thursday (h/t The Score).
“He knew he was gonna get traded. So, he said, ‘You know, I did some light running. I did some 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.'”
With how the situation played out in Portland, it’s easy to understand Lillard attempting to avoid injury, as it could have hypothetically impacted a potential deal.
Assuming Lillard entered the year in the “worst shape” of his life, the 33-year-old guard still adapted quickly to playing alongside fellow star Giannis Antetokounmpo. He received his eighth NBA All-Star nod, averaging 24.3 points, 7.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds.
However, Lillard also tied his career’s third-worst field goal percentage (42.4%) and three-point percentage (35.4%). These marks came over 73 regular-season games, the most he’s played since the 2018-19 season.