In Photos: Doting dad Damian Lillard enjoys family day out at San Diego Zoo Safari with his three children
Milwaukee Bucks standout Damian Lillard is currently enjoying his offseason after he and the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs. After an injured Bucks team was handed a first-round elimination from the playoffs, Lillard and the rest of the team began their offseason. For the guard, that means plenty of time for family activities.
Despite previously playing for the Portland Trail Blazers before joining the Milwaukee Bucks, Lillard appears to keep residency in San Diego during the offseason. On Friday, photos and videos of the eight-time All-Star at the zoo with his two kids filled up his Instagram story.
In one instance, one of Lillard's twin daughters can be seen interacting up close with a porcupine. In another, Lillard's kids can be seen watching a gorilla. After an action-packed day, Lillard could be seen with one of his daughters following a successful outing to the zoo.
Check out some of the photos from Damian Lillard's outing with his kids below!
Note, Instagram stories automatically delete after 24 hours. Given that, they cannot be embedded. You can see screenshots from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist's Instagram story below.
Looking further at Damian Lillard's offseason and the year ahead following the Bucks' first-round elimination from playoffs
The 2023-24 NBA season saw the Milwaukee Bucks eliminated from the playoffs early following a slew of injuries. In the case of Damian Lillard, the veteran point guard dealt with a calf strain, adding to the team's injury woes in the postseason.
Following the team's elimination from the playoffs, Damian Lillard spoke with media members for his exit interview, during which he expressed frustration. As he explained, having your season largely decided by injuries is a tough pill to swallow.
Speaking to media members about his and Giannis Antetokounmpo's postseason injuries, he explained:
"You play an entire 82-game season. You go through training camp, you go through all the ups and downs of a NBA regular season, and you get to the point where, all right, now we're going to play for everything.
"And you're not whole. You don't have the best opportunity to reach where you want reach. So it is frustrating, it's disappointing, but it's part of the game."
While his teammates, Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo are preparing to compete for Greece in the Olympic qualifiers, Lillard will have the offseason to recover. Following a move to Milwaukee for the regular season that saw him move away from his kids, the offseason is the perfect opportunity to recharge.
The hope in Milwaukee is that their core is healthy. Of course, after two first-round exits to teams seeded below them in the standings, it's clear that Bucks fans are eager for the team to make a deep playoff run.