Damian Lillard has finally got a cup to his name. The Milwaukee Bucks point guard got his hands on the NBA cup during his first stint at the camp. He achieved his maiden feat in a major outing that he was unlucky during an 11-year-long stint at the Portland Trail Blazers.

After the announcement, Lillard decided to use a portion of his NBA Cup prize money to support the team’s staff. This gesture comes at a time when the Bucks faced immense struggles at the start of the season. Both Lillard and the coaching staff have been crucial in turning their fortunes around, and they deserve all the praise.

“When I get it, I ain’t gonna just blow it or go crazy. … (I’ll give it) to the support staff, our training staff… do something to support them,” Lillard replied when asked about what he would do with the $500k prize money.

jtihngtre pic.twitter.com/7QxLersnmw

— Erick Savage (@ErickSavage13) December 17, 2024

Bucks’ journey to winning the NBA Cup was impressive, but we need to be realistic about the Bucks’ overall position in the NBA. Given how they have played so far, it’s unlikely they will win the bigger Larry O’Brien Trophy in addition to their Cup victory. For most of the Bucks’ players, that’s not a big deal. The core group of players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis, already won an NBA championship in 2021. As a result, they aren’t too worried about not winning the NBA Cup this time.

Damian Lillard Breaks Down Bucks’ NBA Cup Final Run

Following a rocky start to the season with a 4-8 record, the Bucks faced significant criticism and speculation about their future. However, Lillard noted that their turnaround was the result of a concerted effort to improve both individually and collectively. In his opinion, this newfound synergy was particularly evident during their decisive victory over the OKC, where they relied heavily on mutual confidence and strategy.

Lillard also emphasized that their championship win was reflective of the hard work they had put into becoming a more cohesive unit. With a stellar triple-double contribution from Antetokounmpo, Lillard believes this victory is just the start for him and ‘The Greek Freak’ as a duo.

“I think it just showed what we’ve been building. I think it all came out in our biggest game to this point. It all came out from the film room to practice to us becoming a more connected team, the trust on both sides of the ball. I think it shined bright in a really important game for us,” the 8x NBA All-Star added.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are the highest-scoring duo in the NBA this season with 58.4 combined PPG 🤝

Giannis — 32.7 PPG
Dame — 25.7 PPG pic.twitter.com/wJioVyg7Xu

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 18, 2024

For his fans, it’s nice to see a great player win a trophy on the court, even if it’s not the one he really wants. Let’s hope to see him win the championship in June, but this tournament gives him a chance to win something, even if it’s smaller.