Bucks' Damian Lillard keeps it 100 when deciding Jericho Sims nickname

03/14/2025 02:42 PM

The Milwaukee Bucks made easy work of the Los Angeles Lakers, securing a 126-106 victory despite a stellar 45-point performance from Luka Dončić. While Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Brook Lopez each contributed over 20 points, it was a key bench player who quietly left his mark—Jericho Sims, per NBAAnalysis.

The 26-year-old center, recently acquired from the New York Knicks in exchange for Delon Wright, has carved out a role as Milwaukee's primary backup center. Though his stat lines won't always jump off the page, Sims brings an essential presence on the boards. He grabbed 11 rebounds in the Bucks' latest win and has averaged 5.3 rebounds over 15 minutes per game in his dozen appearances with the team so far.

Lillard and Sims Break the Ice

Sims' arrival in Milwaukee hasn't just been about fitting into a new system on the court. He's also making an impression on his new teammates, including Damian Lillard, who had a lighthearted but telling moment with the young center. Lillard recounted the interaction while speaking with Lily Zhao of WKRC, recalling an amusing off-court moment.

“We were both lifting at the same time—it was just us—and I was like, 'Man, do you ever talk?'” Lillard shared. “He just started smiling and was like, 'Yeah, I do.'"

That small exchange led to an ongoing locker room dynamic between the two, with Lillard keen to give Sims a fitting nickname. Sims offered several suggestions, including “J-Rod” and “Jumpman.” However, Lillard shut down the latter instantly.

“I was like, 'I will never call you Jumpman,'" Lillard said. “There's only one Jumpman that I'm going to acknowledge as Jumpman, and we laughed about it. That was kind of the icebreaker."

#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

Of course, the name "Jumpman" belongs to one person in Damian Lillard's mind—Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Even though Lillard is an Adidas athlete, his nod to Jordan shows the deep-rooted respect NBA players have for the all-time greats.

With Milwaukee sitting just behind the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings, the Bucks will look to keep building chemistry as they push toward the playoffs. They'll get another shot at New York on March 28, but first, they face the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum on Saturday night.

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