Damian Lillard shares reasons why he uses boxing to prepare for NBA seasons

For over a decade, Damian Lillard has been practicing boxing with Cem Eren, his personal trainer. This time around, the Bucks player even went back to Oregon, where he played for 10 years with the Trail Blazers, to continue this tradition as he prepares for this upcoming NBA campaign in Milwaukee. 

The eight-time All-Star had never really spoken in detail about the reasons behind these unique training drills, but he decided to open up this summer. “It’s good for your legs, for strengthening your body. You have to keep your hands up. You have to move. I think it’s good for that. It’s good for your conditioning,” he assured.

“I really do it just to release a little bit,” the veteran added. “And for reasons of personal defense. In the world we live in today, man, you have to be able to defend yourself and protect yourself properly. I think for all those reasons: conditioning, the mental challenge it represents, strengthening your body, but obviously being able to defend myself properly.”

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Both the player and his trainer have shown mere glimpses of his workouts on social medial, which is why boxing has been used in some of his advertising campaigns throughout his career. However, this was the first time that the point guard allows access to the media to one of his regular training sessions during preseason.

Not only does the 34-year-old believe this is part of the reasons why he’s built a potential Hall of Famer career, but also enters strong and ready to start each NBA season. “I think it’s more the mental part than anything else,” he said.

Dame has learned so much from it, that he’s even involved his own family. “Putting my kids in and letting them learn that too, and building that discipline and confidence as people. That’s really it,” Lillard explained, as he’s convinced that boxing brings out the best values in people.

The keys to proper boxing, according to the Bucks star, is to have quick footwork and throw in punches without being contacted. “Obviously, basketball and boxing are not the same. But sometimes we come here and do like six, seven, eight rounds where what he asks me to do, I’m tired,” he expressed.

His personal trainer considers him a “fighter” and so much more than just a basketball athlete, which is why he thrives in the NBA

Just as the training session was coming to its end, and Dame seemed to finally start to drop his hands in exhaustion, his coach felt the player had more in him and kept at it. Cem Eren believes that it is key to end sessions strong. “I say Damian Lillard is a fighter who plays professional basketball, you know what I mean?

“I don’t think he’s a basketball player,” his trainer explained. “He’s a fighter who plays. When you look up the definition of fighter in the dictionary, it’s someone who overcomes things, who fights for something. Fighting doesn’t necessarily mean hitting someone. I’m fighting right now, to put food on the table, or to keep everything together. That’s a fight.”

Lillard is now preparing for his second season in Milwaukee, and is expecting to improve his game after a somewhat disappointing first year. The 34-year-old produced averages of 24.3 points, 7.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 73 regular season games, but his trainer insists that details are important.

“Boxing is that one punch, that difference that can change everything,” Cerem added. “That’s why you never win in boxing until it’s over. That’s why being ‘focused’ is not the same (as in other sports). It’s just not the same. You can’t mimic it because you need to live it.”