“Damian Lillard is not a basketball player. He’s a fighter who plays professional basketball,” were the words of Lillard’s trainer, Cem Eren, back in 2021. With a spirit like that, why restrict yourself to just one sport? Though he does not pursue it professionally, Damian Lillard is known to incorporate offseason boxing into his workout. In his own words, “I do it out of love of the sport and also just to know that I can properly defend myself if it comes down to it”. His deep love for boxing means he keeps regular tabs on all the latest happenings in the ring. Therefore, he, of course, had to comment on a recent bout involving Jake Paul.
Jake Paul recently made headlines for defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a 10-round cruiserweight bout. This win marked Paul’s 6th straight victory (And no, we are not counting the fight against Mike Tyson). And Lillard being Lillard, he took to social media and reached out to a renowned name from the world of Boxing, in not-so-subtle challenge to Jake Paul.
Damian Lillard posted a story on his Instagram with a short and simple message, “Jake getting better and better… @mbrowne next (with a shrugging emoji)”. The reasoning behind this IG story is clear: Lillard wants Jake Paul to take on light heavyweight boxer Marcus Browne. And Browne has seemingly given his go-ahead for this fight as he put out three emojis, “ ” in response to Lillard’s story.
Marcus Browne was set to enter the ring after a long lay-off of 22 months. He was supposed to take on Nigeria’s Olanrewaju Durodola in a 10-round cruiserweight event in Canada. But the bout was cancelled at the last moment due to unspecified medical concerns. This was a huge disappointment for Browne fans, who wanted to see their star in the ring after almost two years. But there is one silver lining here. Browne’s reaction to Lillard’s challenge is proof that he is ready to be back in the ring. It’s just a matter of who puts out the challenge. All eyes are on you, Jake Paul!
December 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) addresses the media in a press conference during practice prior to the Emirates NBA Cup semi-finals at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Is there another reason why Damian Lillard is so heavily pushing for this bout? Rumor has it, Lillard himself wants to challenge Jake Paul to a fight in the near future. And by suggesting this bout, the Bucks star can keep a close eye on Paul. This isn’t just paper talk, as reportedly Lillard has support from the NBA world for this match-up.
Damian Lillard ranked high amongst NBA Stars, listed as the Next Jake Paul Opponent
There is no denying that the Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight wasn’t something that would qualify as ‘good television’. However, neither is ‘Keeping up with Kardashians’, but it is still popular. Despite the quality issues and overall criticism, the Tyson vs Paul fight was among the biggest live events of 2024. This, of course, would have led many to wonder about the possibility of Jake Paul fighting another high-profile celebrity.
Back in November 2024, Bovada Sportsbook put out a ranking. It listed 18 current and former NBA players most likely to face off against Jake Paul by 2025 end. Several big names like LeBron James (+1800) and Dwight Howard (+750) made the list. Damian Lillard, meanwhile, was ranked with +2000 odds. With that score, he was tied with former NBA star Dwyane Wade and Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porziņģis. Only 4 NBA stars (Anderson Varejao, Joel Embiid, Leandro Barbosa, and Nene) ranked with odds of +2500 each.
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
A few months before these rankings came out, Damian Lillard was asked about his love for boxing on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’. The Bucks guard shared his belief that he would be a “pretty good boxer”. However, he wasn’t willing to put himself in the same conversation with serious boxers. That included, in his eyes, Jake Paul too.
“With somebody like Jake Paul, because I train, you know, I’m always in the gym in the summer, I love the sport of boxing. I think with somebody like Jake Paul, I know how important experience is in boxing,” said the Bucks star. “I think he’s got so much experience now where he’s fought in these big events, he’s taking boxing serious, he’s in boxing gyms all the time now, like he’s taking it serious. So I think, you know he’s taking the route of a true fighter, and anybody who hasn’t had that opportunity, or anybody who hasn’t taken it that serious as far as wanting to become a fighter, then you shouldn’t be mentioned with those guys”.
Although reports did state that Lillard was looking to fight Jake Paul in the near future, he seems to have poured cold water over it with his words on the Dan Patrick Show. But with Jake Paul willing to fight any and everyone under the sun, you can never say never!
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