Giannis Antetokounmpo and his longtime partner Mariah Riddlesprigger officially got married on September 1, 2024, at the Costa Navarino resort near Pylos, Greece. The wedding attracted several high-profile guests, but one notable absence was Damian Lillard. Recent social media posts suggested that Lillard may have chosen to attend another wedding instead.
Dame was at a wedding too (probably not Giannis’ I’m not sure atp) pic.twitter.com/7bqO80fCq8
— 🦌💫 (@GiannisWorld) September 2, 2024
It turns out that the wedding Damian Lillard attended was not Giannis Antetokounmpo’s, but rather Moe Harkless’. Evan Turner, who was with Lillard in the photo, posted images from Harkless’ wedding on X. Both weddings took place on September 1, leading Lillard to choose which one to attend, and he opted for Harkless’ ceremony.
— Evan Turner (@thekidet) September 2, 2024
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Wedding Attendance.
Damian Lillard missed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s wedding on September 1, 2024 in Greece to attend Moe Harkless’ wedding instead. Both weddings happened to fall on the same day, so Lillard had to choose which one to attend.
While surprising since Lillard is Antetokounmpo’s teammate on the Milwaukee Bucks, it seems Lillard is a lot closer to Harkless. The two were teammates on the Portland Trail Blazers from 2015 to 2019, and in 2016, Lillard even campaigned to keep Harkless on the team when he was a restricted free agent.
Given the special bond between Lillard and Harkless, Antetokounmpo likely didn’t mind his teammate missing the wedding[1]. Several other Bucks players did make the trip to Greece, including Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, and Wes Matthews. A photo of the group went viral on social media.
Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, and Wes Matthew’s all at Giannis’s Wedding 💍 pic.twitter.com/78INFaIM5z
— BucksShowYo🦌 (@BucksShowYo) September 1, 2024
Khris Middleton, who has been a teammate of Giannis Antetokounmpo since 2013, served as the best man at the wedding. Additionally, notable figures such as LeBron James, the Bucks’ owners, Serena Williams, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were also in attendance.
The wedding ceremony was kept private at the request of the couple, with minimal details revealed due to their preference for no media coverage. The union between Antetokounmpo and Mariah Riddlesprigger was a long time coming, dating back to 2014 and resulting in three children: Liam, Maverick, and Eva.
Despite the hype surrounding Lillard’s trade to the Bucks to team up with Antetokounmpo, their first season together did not meet expectations. Lillard struggled, averaging 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting only 42.4% from the field and 35.4% from beyond the arc. The Bucks’ season was further marred by injuries, including Antetokounmpo’s calf injury and Lillard’s Achilles injury, which ultimately led to their first-round exit against the Indiana Pacers. This marked the second consecutive year the Bucks were eliminated in the first round, following a similar exit against the Miami Heat in 2023.
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