"The worst shape I've been in" - Doc Rivers recalls Damian Lillard's honest admission about his fitness levels ahead of Bucks training camp

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has shared what Damian Lillard told him when he took over the franchise in the middle of the season. Lillard was honest about not working out the previous summer and coming into his first year in Milwaukee in the worst shape of his career.

In an appearance on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" on Thursday, Rivers recalled the time Lillard admitted being out of shape. The eight-time All-Star was afraid to do anything physical last summer because he didn't want to derail his trade away from the Portland Trail Blazers.

"We were at dinner and he said, 'Coach, I didn't work out all summer. It's the first time in my life that I've not worked out. I was so scared of getting injured working out.' He knew he was gonna get traded, so he said, 'You know, I did some light running. I did some shooting with no one in the gym. But I didn't go at all. I'm out of shape.' He was honest about it and that's one of the reasons you love him. He said, 'This is the worst shape I've ever been in,'" Rivers said.

The Damian Lillard trade saga went on for months, with the Miami Heat being his preferred destination. However, the Heat were not willing to part ways with some of their assets to get Lillard. That's when the Milwaukee Bucks swooped in and got "Dame Time" to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Lillard's first year in Milwaukee was a mixed bag, as he averaged just 24.3 points per game. He shot just 42.4% from the field and 35.4% from beyond the arc. He was also injured in the latter part of their first-round series loss to the Indiana Pacers.

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Fans not happy about Doc Rivers talking about Damian Lillard's condition

Fans are not happy about Doc Rivers talking about Damian Lillard's condition.

Some fans are not happy with Doc Rivers disclosing information shared by Damian Lillard to him in private. They accused Rivers of not taking any accountability and getting ready to have an excuse coming into his first full season in charge of the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Why would you expose that?" a fan asked.

"Doc throwing a player under bus again," another fan wrote.

"More Doc Rivers excuses?" one fan remarked.

While Rivers does have a history of throwing his players under the bus, Lillard has been open about his conditioning problem throughout the season. It was also not the first time Doc discussed what his star point guard told him about being in the worst shape of his career. He shared the same info during the Bucks' exit interview with reporters two months ago.