What We Love About Guard Damian Lillard

No topic about basketball can be complete without discussing the basketball legend, Damian Lillard. Read on to know more about the talented player.

Damian Lillard is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. The zero on the jersey of Lillard is not actually zero, but the letter ‘O’, which represents Oakland, a city in California where he grew up. Not only this, the letter ‘O’ also stands for Ogden, where Lillard played college ball, and for Oregon, where he currently lives.

In 2019, the talented player signed a huge deal with the Blazers for $196 million over four seasons. Lillard had also signed a five-year contract with Blazers in 2015, which will be valid till 2020-21 season before the next contract starts. The latest will keep Lillard in Blazers through the 2024-25 season. One of the most feared point guards in the league, Lillard is a huge asset for the Blazers.

At the 2012 NBA draft, the Portland Trail Blazers as its sixth overall pick selected Lillard and he has been with them since. By the end of his first season, the extremely strong player was voted the "Rookie of the Year."This is definitely something to consider for future bets.

Lillard has had a humble beginning and he has worked hard to reach where he stands now. From waiting near the players’ parking lot, hoping to get autographs to now coming in top 10 in the NBA season, the 29-year-old player has come a long way. When in Brookfield, the young Lillard used to run away from home to play against grown men. Although Lillard grew up in an area, which was famous for drugs and crimes, it was only his game that kept him away from a criminal life. From his early years, Lillard had a dream to do something for his society and his people once he grew up. He later fulfilled this dream by rekindling the Never Worry Picnic in Brookfield Park. These picnics are a lot of fun for people where there are unlimited hotdogs, hamburgers, horse rides, and much more. Lillard’s family including his uncle takes part in these events, where Lillard goes around meeting people and signing autographs. This picnic is a gift from the sports superstar to his people. The four-time NBA All-Star also donated money to help renovate Oakland High’s gym.

Not only for people he has known from his childhood, but Lillard is also involved in various other charitable projects. The star was honored for his charitable work with the RESPECT program, a program started by Lillard, which focuses on anti-bullying struggles, increasing attendance, and positive culture among students.

The Blazers guard is at No. 30 on Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes, however, he has not let the fame get to his head and is one of the most grounded players. Damian Lillard is a man with many talents. Other than being a world-famous basketball player he is also a hip-hop artist and rapper. For the Portland Trail Blazers guard, the 2019-20 season was the best both as his career in basketball as well as rapping. First, he defeated Oklahoma City Thunder and took the Blazers to the Western Conference Finals. Then he proceeded to release a third album, Big D.O.L.L.A., which is one of his best music albums till now. The album is a collection of rap songs, which show his talent and versatility as a rapper. The artist also encourages participants to submit a video of the performance on Instagram. This way he strives hard to promote talent and give people opportunities.

The strong player is not only limited to the sports grounds or recording studios but has also ventured into the market with his shoes. His dedication and assurance to success on the court and his capability to communicate and make a connection with the fans through social media and make him the ideal person to be one of the foundations of the Adidas brand. The player signed a $100 million deal over 10 years with Adidas and is often spotted wearing different shoes from the brand. The player even has his own signature shoe line, known as ‘Adidas Dame’, which are a particular kind of shoes that glow in the dark. Lillard can often be seen wearing these shows when he goes skating. Other than this, Lillard also has endorsement deals with Panini, Foot Locker, Biofreeze, and many more popular brands.

In 2020, Lillard got engaged to his longtime girlfriend Kay’La Hanson with whom he shares a child named Dame Jr. The couple is also expecting twins, a boy, and a girl!

The life of Damian Lillard looks perfect, from being one of the best players in basketball to being a rapper to having an amazing personal life, everything seems to be a dream for the player. Still, the player has no airs about himself, that is why he is loved by people all around the world, not only for his game but also for his charitable work.