Giannis reacts to Damian Lillard trade: 'It's a bittersweet day' / News - Basketnews.com

Giannis was sad to lose Jrue Holiday, an integral part of the previous Bucks roster, but welcomed Damian Lillard with open arms in hopes of winning a championship.

Credit: Michael Reaves, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Michael Reaves, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

The Damian Lillard trade saga officially ended on Wednesday. Following the transaction, the league reacted in many ways. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was one of the players who expressed their opinion about it.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Position:PFAge:28Height:211 cmWeight:98 kgBirth place:Athens, GreeceProfileNewsStatistics

Lillard was traded to the Bucks, while Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen left the organization to join the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns, respectively.

Holiday was an integral part of the Bucks championship roster in 2021, a thing that played a key part in Antetokounmpo's reaction.

"Jrue is my f--king brother for life. I love his family. I love him. I appreciate him. I wish him nothing but the best. He blessed me with a f--king championship," Antetokounmpo said in an interview with Bleacher Report. "He's the one who made that huge steal in Game 5 of the Finals. I went to battle with him multiple times. F--k basketball. F--k the media s--t. This guy is my brother for life, and it's always going to be like that. He's going to thrive wherever he ends up."

"Now, at the same time, I'm excited to have Dame. He gives us a chance to win a championship," Giannis continued. "I'm excited to play with the caliber of player that he is. He can score the ball in his sleep and shoot the lights out."

In a blockbuster trade, the Trail Blazers also sent Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson to the Phoenix Suns while getting Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara in return.

"It's a bittersweet day for the city of Milwaukee. You get Dame, who is a great player, but you lose a great guy. Jrue took us to the promised land. I'm 10 years in now. I know it's a business. At the end of the day, Jrue will always be my brother for life. He's one of the best human beings I've been around," Antetokounmpo said.

"But we've got to focus on the goal to win the championship. Dame wants this. He's hungry to win, and he's going to push us. I'm very happy to have him on our team," the superstar forward concluded.

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