MILWAUKEE — Thousands of cheering fans greeted NBA star Damian Lillard in a welcome rally at Deer District on Saturday evening.
Lillard was traded by the Portland Trail Blazers to play alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee on Wednesday.
The seven-time All-Star arrived on the plaza at Fiserv Forum around 5:30p.m. Fans waited for hours to catch a glimpse of Lillard as he made his way into the stadium.
"I have to be at work in a few hours but I don’t care. I might pull up late," Jerry Reaves, a fan, smiled. "This is a new regime of the Bucks franchise. We're going to do big things over the next five or six years."
Many of the fans said Lillard is what this team needs to secure another championship.
"We’re winning a championship. You always want to win a championship with Giannis, now we get to win one with Lillard too," Hahdi Khan, a fan, exclaimed.
While Lillard didn't speak, The Bucks team did its best to keep fans entertained as they stood outside with music and appearances from the mascot and several team players.
"This rally brings everyone together. Sports does that, and the Bucks are doing that with this city," Reaves explained.
Many people at the rally wore Lillard's number zero jersey and brought along other props like giant cardboard heads and signs.
Dustin Godsey, the Chief Sales & Marketing Officer with the Milwaukee Bucks, said they sold out of jerseys at the Bucks Pro Shop, but have more available to purchase online.
"We sold 2000 jerseys in the first 36 hours and that number just continues to climb," Godsey explained.
TMJ4 captured Lillard stepping out of his black SUV with his three children wearing matching sweatsuits. Mayor Cavalier Johnson also walked along with the athlete's family.
Soon after the rally, the Bucks showed Damian his new jersey for the first time in the locker room.
With the official season starting in just a few weeks, fans will get a first look at the Bucks' new look when training camp starts next week.
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