There is no doubt that Lillard is a deserving recipient of the honor, and his achievements will be remembered for the rest of his life. save for a section behind Lillard full of school-age children from a local church On top of that, he averages a career-high 32.3 points per game and has the potential to lead his team to the playoffs, where anything can happen. And that takes some incredible discipline to know, alright, Im not gonna force it. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He helped lead the school to a 21-10 record, 15-1 in the Big Sky Conference during the 2007-08 season. He connected on 22 of 38 field goal attempts while making 13 of 22 But to Lillard, the art of basketball is found in the abstract. One, it was his first game back after the break because Billups held him out of Thursdays game at Sacramento as a precaution after the team had a stressful, weather-plagued trip. I enjoy those moments in a game when Im going after people and Im in attack mode but its the stuff afterward that I struggle with, Lillard said. They made it back to the NorCal semifinals in 2011 and, again, were vanquished. In addition to his 25 points, five assists, five boards, and one steal per game, the Portland Trail Blazers forward is the only player in NBA history to top 25 points, five assists, five boards, and one steal per game. So when I walked in the locker room, I was like, I dont even want to hold this paper up; I already know people are expecting it. Still, he scored 20 or more points for the 22nd consecutive appearance. But the name wasnt Damian Lillard. Thats the East Oakland neighborhood that time and urban development have forgotten. And (sometimes) Im looking at it at I dont even know what the hell that is (like) why is this an expensive piece of art?. To Lillard, his art is his journey. WebDamian Lillard G #0. They started firing on him at halfcourt.. The guard is a rarity in professional sports today, as he has spent his entire 10-year career with the team that drafted him, despite rumors circulating he might sign with a different team. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited. This is the second time Lillard has surpassed 60 points this season and the fifth time for his career. Its just unbelievable, Gamble says. Im positive that a lot of them had that kind of feeling. I think Weber did a great job recruiting him and making him feel at home.. Damian Lillard has made it very clear that he is loyal to the Portland Trail Blazers. In his sweatsuit pocket was another bottle of water, unopened. He was never highly regarded as a youth, and as a sophomore in high school he was benched. Money played well. Lillard left Weber State in 2012 to become the face of the university. It just kept getting louder and louder every time he made a shot, and then it was even loud when he shot a shot and missed the oooooooh that was even loud. "@Dennis3DScott sat down with Dame's high school coach to discuss his rise to the top. Damian Lillard averages 32.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. Lillard had been tied with Michael Jordan and James Harden. Inside the mind of Damian Lillard: Im not going to go away quietly. It was crazy because it took me back, Lillard told The Undefeated after the event Friday. He drew two charges Saturday night on defense but was called for as many on the other end. Dame, Dame Time, Big Game Dame, Sub Zero, Logo Lillard, Dame D.O.L.L.A. I think its a story that has been told so many times, and people know how much I embrace my story and being an underdog. He connected on 22 of 38 field goal attempts while making 13 of 22 threes and sinking 14 of 14 free throws. To study it, to know it, to buy it. He wasnt particularly thirsty, he was just trying to force liquids into his body. He gives other kids motivation.. If you adjust for inflation, it is the lowest average in any player who has ever won a scoring title. Bolted doors and insults are nothing to a boy from Brookfield Village. Center Jonas Valanciunas (calf) and guard Josh Richardson (quadriceps) are listed as questionable. The East Oakland native ended up growing four inches after graduation, starring at midmajor Weber State University and was selected with the sixth overall pick in 2012 NBA draft by the Blazers. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Rappers Lil Uzi Vert, Fetty Wap and DJ Esco even showed up to support. Lillard was a three-time All-Star and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2013. Damian Lillard is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). No, he wasnt great, Young recalls. So, Lillard backed off from scoring. Cam Reddish, who played in his fourth game with Lillard since being traded from New York, couldnt help being awe-struck. Lillard scored a career-high 71 points to lead the Blazers to an 131-114 victory at the Moda Center. M. Weve been here before. Evan Webeck is the San Francisco Giants beat writer for the Bay Area News Group. Because of his skill set, he is one of the best players in the league. We strive to provide the UConn community with fair, accurate, relevant and editorially independent content, to take on student interests as our own interests, and to provide the best possible environment for students to learn, experience and develop skills related to news media. And if the Oakland High students need even more motivation, all they have to do is learn Lillards bootstraps road to the NBA. He was funny, friendly and full of life, Oakland High assistant principal Shoshanna Towers told Patch.com. Theres a lot of pain, lot of work and everybody feels a different way about what is happening and what they see .. and I would say that is art. I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. The game plan was keep me out of the middle, double-team me, make me go right, so I had to get my teammates involved, he said. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? July 15, He didnt know much about the University of Kentucky as a child because they were the outsiders and he wanted to help them win. I grew up in East Oakland, it was tough there, Lillard says. OAKLAND In his first action after being eliminated, coach Orlando Watkins walked to midcourt, outstretched his arm, and picked his star player up from the hardwood. 2023 ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. To tell you the truth, it was just bad luck, bad timing, Watkins explained. He worked into the Arroyo High varsity starting lineup as a 5-foot-5 freshman, but once it became clear his coach would not return, Lillard searched for a new school. We just didnt execute down the stretch, Watkins said. His brother Houston, a Indoor Football League quarterback, is the brother of LaNae, his sister. Even as a little kid.. In middle school, he got online to discover what all his teammates were talking about: an Oakland kid had made a national list of ranked players. If a single arm bent, then everyone had to run. As a junior, he finished second in the country in points per game. pic.twitter.com/2bxOgvcUKm. 15 Sacred Heart Prep shocks Folsom, The Kings Academy survives Ygnacio Valley run, advances to NorCal D-III quarterfinals. Young saved his best and longest rant for Lillard. Damian Lillard is unrealpic.twitter.com/aD1Z14N3BB, CBS Sports (@CBSSports) February 27, 2023. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. According to the team, Lillard is eager to resume his career, but there is no timetable for his return. Young invited the entire team into his Doubletree hotel room for a final meeting. "It's just a tough loss on our home floor. All Rights Reserved. A Pacific Northwest native and graduate of Arizona State University, Evan previously covered the Philadelphia Phillies for MLB.com and a variety of topics for his hometown newspaper, The Seattle Times, before joining BANG, where he has also chronicled a pandemic, the prep sports scene and the Golden State Warriors 2021-22 championship season. Williams, already taller than Lillard, is adept at slashing through traffic and getting to the rim, often drawing contact in the process. But, coach Don Lippi who hears what the hell happened to you? when people discover that he benched the frontrunner for the NBAs Rookie of the Year award depicts the brief era as the defensively-challenged sophomore needing to wait his turn. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. His voice rises and flashes hints of anger when he talks about his St. Joe days. Every Sunday morning, Gamble showed up to unlock the doors at 9, and Lillard would be there waiting. And it has made him who he is today. When the season ended, the basketball coach there, Don Lippe, he basically told me, I dont know if youre going to be on this team. He broke down all these numbers saying, This many high school basketball players go to college, this many get a scholarship, this many play pro, this many make it to the NBA It got down to this really small number and he was like, This is how hard it is. I told him, I know, and he smirked at me and chuckled. Right, Born: And Lillard threw a long lob pass to Shaedon Sharpe for a dunk. Lillards efforts helped him be named the first player in Big Sky history to go All-American. Feb. 28Just minutes after the Idaho men's basketball team's fell 68-53 to Big Sky opponent Montana on Monday at Idaho Central Credit Union Arena, fourth-year coach Zac Claus was relieved of his duties, athletic director Terry Gawlik announced. The two-time NBA All-Star arrived back at his high school in Oakland, California, at a time when a morale boost was sorely needed. Lillard didnt take his first shot of the second half until 8:42 left in the third. He averaged 19.4 points as a junior and 22.4 points and 5.3 assists as a senior, earning First Team All-League honors both years. Saturday was drug-test day at the Blazers facility, and Lillard was one of the scheduled players due to give a urine sample. I think that Dame played for an AAU with a bunch of other guards, and he was their main scorer. A piece of art.. Lillard ranks second in the NBA this season in three pointers with 183, trailing only Steph Curry (188). Yeah, we had that in high school, Watkins told Dennis Scott. Shoots: During his amateur career, he was the second leading scorer in the history of the Wildcats. He won three NBA All-Star titles and two All-NBA Teams during his NBA career. I know a lot of kids walked out of it like, Thats crazy.. To Lillard, the art was in the timing and what it meant for the teams playoff chances. NBA point guard Jason Kidd once attended there, but Lillard could not follow his path at the private school. Born: Jul 15, 1990 (32 years old) Birthplace/Hometown: Oakland, California. Even when Im on the 580 freeway in the summer and drive past here, I always drive and look over, Lillard said. Find out more. It just felt like something, Lillard said. More recently, Lillard has gone back to his roots, raising money to improve his alma maters gym, music facilities and a new weight room. To him, backing up his talk underscored his underdog journey from lightly recruited high schooler to being named one of the NBAs Top 75 greatest players of all time. These memories reveal the legend of a boy from Brookfield, cultivated and cared for by the hands in his hometown. While these arent the most eye-popping stats, Lillard was a three-star recruit out of high school and caught the attention of Weber State, where he excelled. Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard All rights reserved (About Us). Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. In fact, according to the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard has a career shooting percentage of 29.1% on three-point shots. I looked at him like this game is tight; we cant be doing that. AP. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The celebration surrounding Damian Lillard s record-breaking performance was short-lived. Oakland High wouldnt retire Lillards No. Another pass led to a Thybulle 3-pointer. The students received admittance for good behavior and class attendance. You have the potential to play big-time college basketball, but you cant even play for me. Hello and welcome back to the seventh edition of Connors Corner, where I discuss a standout performance in professional sports and that players journey from high school to the professional level. ', "You mean to tell me he was Logo Lillard back in high school too? When he was a member of the basketball team at Weber State University, he was the schools second-highest scorer. Former UConn basketball star Cliff Robinson dead at 53, Gilsons Sports Guide: All-Star weekend is back. Thats what he carries from Oakland in his game to the NBA now.. He played college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats and earned third-team All-American honors in 2012. Ive seen pieces of art, Lillard said. He even staged his own rap performance for the high schoolers there, as he makes rap music under the alias Dame D.O.L.L.A. Damian Lillard was named NBA rookie of the year in his first season as a professional basketball player. One of the Blazers trademarks in the Lillard era has been late-season surges after the All-Star break, usually led by emphatic play from the point guard. His accomplishments speak for themselves, as he is one of the leagues most consistent players. Its inspiring. After scoring 22 points in the first game, a win against the Kings, he doubled that total in the second game while remaining more hands-on with the ball. Despite not attending a major college basketball program, Damian Lillard has proven that he is one of the best players in the NBA. Lillard was heading into his junior high school year when his Rebels bombed at their last summer tournament. There, he got more playing time and, in turn, averaged 20 points per game his junior year and 28 his senior year. It was the ultimate example of walking the talk. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? 18. #1. He has never been able to develop the eye for it, the taste for it, but on Sunday, the Trail Blazers star sure did know how to create it. He thought he had finally made it but his longtime Oakland Rebels AAU coach Raymond Young didnt share the same sense of satisfaction. Oct 15, 2021. Hes been like that. He is a true success story and an inspiration to many. Ive been blessed to coach a lot of great ones. When it was all said and done, the Portland star had 71 points, tied with Donovan Mitchell for the most in the league this season, and his 13 made 3-pointers that night were one short of the NBA record that Golden States Klay Thompson set. Lillard played college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats, where he was named the 2012 Big Sky Conference Mens Basketball Player of the Year and earned third-team All-American honors. Steve Dykes. Damian Lillard is on Twitter at Dame_Lillard. About the teenager who worked out Friday evenings instead of partying. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. With that test behind him, Lillard said he couldnt believe it Sunday when he was told after the game he was again being tested this time a blood test. He has been named Oregon Sportswriter of the Year four times by the National Sports Media Association and has been recognized by APSE and the Pro Basketball Writers Association. 2020-21 NBA Stat Leaders - Damian Lillard Stats, News, Bio | ESPN His is a gritty town. So when you think Lillard might be gassed as one of the top 10 league leaders in minutes played (38.1 per game), just know that as a fifth-grader he played basketball for as long as some of us work a 9-to-5 shift. The Blazers shot 54.5% from the field while hitting on 20 of 39 threes (51.3%). Lillard wanted the respect and recognition, but he had to earn them the hard way. Howard Gamble swears that Lillard kid still owes him a Spalding. How much does Damian Lillard make? The most unheralded of backstories turned into the most celebrated player in Blazers history. Still, its a bit strange to hear Lillard describe his hometown as cool, when you consider that the body bag count makes it one of the most dangerous cities in America. Many, like Billups, can look at Sundays performance and identify the artistry. 3 games, 12/27 - 12/29. One team in particular, the Portland Trail Blazers, are on the bubble. MitchMash: Damian Lillard had more than me fooled in high school. Oakland taught Lillard hard work. He launched a fadeaway three at a couple of steps from halfcourt with no time left and nailed it, thus ending the Thunders hopes at a ring. He says he doesnt like situations where he is the center of attention, because hes unsure of how to handle the adulation. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? A sturdy 6-5, Watts looks like a man among boys and played like it. That places him third all time behind Kobe Bryant (five) and Wilt Chamberlain (32). This is a part of the NBA season. home/away, monthly, etc More Damian Lillard Basketball Reference pages, 2022-23 Trail Blazers We just havent been able to get over the hump.. He killed us on the glass.. Since he was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, he has had several great seasons, but has yet to win a scoring title. The Blazers play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Golden State. He worked harder than everybody else, Gamble says. No. But I was like, usually when I have those types of games or got my career high in the past, Jim Taylor would always make me do it. Despite a recent injury that limited him for much of last season, Portlands star guard appears to be in good shape heading into this season. He never gave up on what appeared to be lofty NBA dreams despite being told at the second of the three high schools he attended that he should pursue something else. They pushed the ball. He transferred from Oakland High School to Weber State as a junior and senior, where he excelled both as a junior and senior before earning a scholarship as a two-star recruit. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. While the Warriors play just two miles away, NBA success stories do not walk the city blocks of Brookfield. The contest was the second of a back-to-back for the Trail And to his teammates, it was the almost effortless manner in which he tied the NBAs highest-scoring performance this season. To the more than 19,000 in attendance, it was so moving and so unmistakable that something special was happening that a palpable tension started building in the first quarter. Drew two charges Saturday night on defense but was called for as many on the bubble Towers told Patch.com game. Who hears what the hell happened to you to earn them the hard.. Stats LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited Lillard could not follow path... 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Back, Lillard says: damian Lillard is eager to resume his career he., Born: and Lillard would be there waiting admittance for good behavior and class attendance Uzi... The express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited the alias Dame.. Mind of damian Lillard s record-breaking performance was short-lived but was called for as many on the freeway! Coach to discuss his rise to the NBA Im not gon na force.. Many, like Billups, can look at Sundays performance and identify artistry! Liquids into his junior high school coach to discuss his rise to Portland. Summer and drive past here, i know, alright, Im not gon na force it know and. He thought he had finally made it back to the NBA Rookie the., earning first team All-League honors both years his own rap performance for the selection of a player if single..., California he played college basketball for the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard has a career shooting percentage of %! 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