Bucks star Damian Lillard chooses the four greatest players in NBA history

When it comes to NBA greats, Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has earned his place among the league’s elite, even without a championship ring. Known as one of the greatest players in Portland Trail Blazers history, Lillard’s opinion carries weight when discussing basketball’s legends.

In March 2022, Damian Lillard appeared on a stream for Shannon Sharpe’s YouTube channel, Club Shay Shay, where he revealed his Mount Rushmore of the greatest players in NBA history.

“I’m going with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and I’m gonna say Magic Johnson,” Lillard shared. However, the seven-time All-Star added that none of these legends was the player he most enjoyed watching on the court.

“I’m gonna say Kyrie Irving,” Lillard said. “I love the way he plays. I love how his game looks—his ball handling, but also just the way he moves and how he plays the game. He’s got the most beautiful game ever, just how it looks”.

Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks is defended by Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half of a game at Fiserv Forum. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Lillard names his current Top 5 NBA players

Just as Lillard shared his picks for the greatest players of all time, he also put together a list of the best current players in the NBA during an appearance on the Club 520 Podcast, hosted by Jeff Teague, in August 2024.

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For his first pick, Lillard chose Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. “Anthony Edwards, I think everyone super high on him right now but I like him because his energy and his swag is authentic and he got the game to go with it,” he explained.

His second pick was Grizzlies leader Ja Morant, highlighting the star’s immense potential. “I am gonna go Ja Morant,” Lillard continued. “He got into some trouble and people kind of turned off to him but I know what I am looking at“.

Rounding out the list, Lillard named Luka Doncic of the Mavericks, reigning MVP Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets, and his current Bucks teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo, without elaborating further on his choices.

Damian Lillard’s individual achievements

Though Lillard has yet to win an NBA title, his accolades prove his status as one of the league’s best. Here’s a breakdown of his impressive resume:

• 2013 NBA Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie First Team selection.
• Eight-time NBA All-Star (2014, 2015, 2018–2021, 2023, 2024).
• Selected to five All-NBA Second Teams (2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023).
• 2018 All-NBA First Team honoree.
• Two-time NBA Three-Point Contest Champion (2023, 2024).
• MVP of the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
• Member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
• All-time leading scorer for the Portland Trail Blazers as of December 2022.

Lillard also won the Maurice Lucas Award (2013), two Magic Johnson Awards (2017, 2020), and was named the MVP of the 2020 NBA Bubble.