Damian Lillard knows how to use his quick pair of legs and his long arms to score a clutch basket. But that’s not the only floor he mops his rivals with. He steps into a boxing ring, uses his good footwork and lanky frame, and unloads quick punches too. The Milwaukee Bucks star is a fighter both on the basketball court and inside the squared circle and has now received praise for his shadowboxing by Terence Crawford.

Lillard, 34, has swept the fans with his fascination with boxing, and they can always notice him donning boxing gloves and headgear and having a good sparring season. It wasn’t long ago that the fans had seen him inside the ring with Ryan Garcia. What’s more? The Bucks’ point guard likes an exciting fight and doesn’t miss whenever there is a boxing fight. He also doesn’t shy away from sharing his unadulterated take on it. Therefore, he has gained prominence in the boxing world too, and when, before a crucial home game against the Chicago Bulls, he tried to warm up using some left hooks and feinting, the visuals soon went viral.

Crawford, 37, also came across the clip of the NBA star shadowboxing, and he shared the same on his Instagram handle. In addition, he penned an interesting caption, lauding Lillard as a student of the sweet science. In his Instagram Story, Crawford wrote, “Student of the game! @damianlillard.”

The fans have seen the Oakland native put in heavy work inside the boxing ring to help him train before the current NBA regular season started. His offseason training regime included weightlifting and boxing, where he focused on moving, counter-punching, and defensive positioning. But why is Lillard fascinated with boxing?

Damian Lillard and his newfound love for boxing

Lillard’s long-term trainer, Cem Eren, has tried to ensure that ‘Dame Time’ has good hand-eye coordination along with building his mental strength. He once declared, “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. He’s a fighter who plays.”

Lillard himself has admitted how boxing helps him sharpen his reflexes and overall conditioning. He said, “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. I really do it just to release a little bit. And for reasons of personal defense… I think it’s more the mental part than anything else.” So, the next time you see Lillard making a clinch basket play or roughing up any of his rivals on the court, you can understand where it is coming from.

What do you make of these visuals of Damian Lillard throwing a punch before an NBA game? Let us know in the comments below.