Damian Lillard drops 2-word reaction as former $33,333,333 teammate breaches major all-time list

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were once a backcourt duo when they were still playing with the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard, now playing with the Milwaukee Bucks, did not forget to congratulate his former teammate McCollum on Saturday as he breached a major all-time milestone.

McCollum now stands at No. 20 in the all-time three-point field goals list after hitting his 1,979th trey in the New Orleans Pelicans game against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Lillard shared a two-word reaction to McCollum’s feat on his Instagram story.

“Congrats brother,” Lillard wrote in his Instagram story, reposting NBA’s graphic.

Lillard's IG story

McCollum, who will earn a base salary of $33,333,333 this season, eclipsed Joe Johnson on the all-time list while closing in on the No. 19 spot, which is currently held by former NBA champion Dirk Nowitzki.

Meanwhile, Damian Lillard, known to be one of the deadliest shooters in history, is No. 4 in the all-time three-point list with 2,798 three-point makes.

Lillard and McCollum played for eight years with the Blazers before the team traded McCollum to the Pelicans in February 2022. Lillard was then traded in 2023 to the Bucks, pairing him up with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In their time together in Portland, the team did not miss the playoffs. The two went as far as the Western Conference Finals in 2019 but lost to the Golden State Warriors led by Stephen Curry, who holds the all-time three-pointer record, via sweep.

This year, Lillard and McCollum find themselves on different paths as Lillard plays for a contender in the Eastern Conference, while the Pelicans hold the second-worst record in the West.

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CJ McCollum reflects on enduring friendship with Damian Lillard

Playing alongside each other for almost a decade, CJ McCollum has built a lasting friendship with Damian Lillard. In an interview with NOLA.com in March 2024, McCollum expressed how big of an impact Lillard had in his life, helping them cultivate an enduring friendship even as they played in different conferences.

“That’s my friend for life…I wish him nothing but the best every night, except against us. I hope he plays horrible. Outside of that, I hope he has a great year and a great career,” McCollum said about Lillard.

McCollum also remarked about how close they and their families were before acknowledging their achievements before the trades.

"We are great friends. We know each other’s families. We built a really good reputation for doing things the right way out in Oregon. We won a lot of games. Made a lot of great memories we will carry on.”

As they go their separate ways, Lillard and McCollum are expected to hunt for their first NBA titles before their careers wind down.