Damian Lillard Refuses to Call Bucks Teammate by Viral Nickname

The nine-time All-Star has his limitations.

Mar 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA: Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks wore a small patch to honor former player Junior Bridgeman who passed away this week. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Nine-time All-Star Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard is adjusting to his three new teammates, post-trade deadline: former Washington Wizards combo forward Kyle Kuzma, former L.A. Clippers guard Kevin Porter Jr., and former New York Knicks center Jericho Sims.

Lillard's relationship with Sims, specifically, was a frequent topic of conversation during his remarks after a 126-106 Thursday night primetime decimation of a Los Angeles Lakers squad missing 21-time All-Star power forward LeBron James, starting small forward Rui Hachimura, and starting center Jaxson Hayes.

Giannis & Dame had the @Bucks rolling as they spoiled Luka's 45-point night 😤 pic.twitter.com/rLLKKUlEcu

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 14, 2025

Against Los Angeles, Lillard scored 22 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field (2-of-8 from deep) and 8-of-8 shooting from the foul line, dished out 10 dimes, grabbed six boards and swiped two steals in 34:28.

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According to Lily Zhao of Fox Sports 6 Milwaukee, Lillard found himself hard-pressed to recall a moment he had exchanged much more than pleasantries with Sims. Given that they had at that point been colleagues for three NBA contests across five days at point, and were in the midst of a shared weightlifting session at the Target Center, this struck Lillard as odd.

#Bucks Damian Lillard on his growing relationship with Jericho Sims:

"I asked him like, what do you go by? I'm not about to be calling you Jericho every time I call your name, and he was like you know, J Rod, Jumpman and I was like, I will never call you Jumpman..." 😂 pic.twitter.com/R7wrqpLYFA

— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) March 14, 2025

“Man, do you ever talk?” Lillard asked Sims, as he told reporters on Thursday.

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Sims smiled back and chuckled, per Lillard.

“Yeah, I do,” Sims said.

"I asked him like, what do you go by? I'm not about to be calling you Jericho every time I call your name, and he was like you know, J Rod, Jumpman and I was like, 'I will never call you Jumpman. There's one Jumpman that I’m going to acknowledge as Jumpman.' And we laughed about it. And that was kind of the icebreaker."

That one Jumpman, of course, would be Hall of Fame former Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, who has his own Air Jordan/Jumpman Nike brand.

"From then on, I've just been in consistent conversations with him — in practice, in games, in the locker room, stuff like that. So I think, like I said, when you kind of establish that foundation of what could be a friendship, I guess, to a teammate, it makes it easier to be on the floor interacting.” Lillard allowed.

Lillard and the dunktastic Sims have developed an exciting connection on lobs.

DAME TO JERICHO FOR ANOTHER OOP.

Giannis' reaction is all of us. pic.twitter.com/zB9Z0Ls14Z

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 14, 2025

Since joining the Bucks, Sims has been averaging 2.8 points on 73.9 percent shooting from the field, 5.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.7 blocks a night. Against the Lakers on Thursday night, the 6-foot-10 Texas product scored just four points on 2-of-2 shooting from the floor but grabbed 11 boards in his 17:45 of action.

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For more Bucks news, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.