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. They have been to the playoffs eight times, an excellent mark for Blazer fans. You couldnt leave the locker room with your gym bag until you were leaving the school. I thought the guys fought. We didn't do a good job of keeping our poise. Ever. |He has it: Behind brilliance of Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers still alive | They know what I do: Damian Lillard wont be deterred by failure or detractors, (Photo of Damian Lillard: Alika Jenner / Getty Images). Lillard finished his collegiate career ranked second in school history with 1,934 career points, fifth in Big Sky Conference history. If a single arm bent, then everyone had to run. Jerami Grant scored 13 points and Nassir Little came off the bench for 11. It was the ultimate example of walking the talk. A lot of the things I am going to be interested in when Im done playing, Im going to need a college degree for those things. 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. Follow your favorite high school teams and players, Explore and purchase photos of your local teams, See top plays & highlights of the best high school sports, Tom Brady was no goody two shoes at Serra High School, Starting Point: No backup plan for little Timmy Lincecum, Starting Point: Cody Ross is King of Carlsbad and San Francisco. Lillard was just 2 of 7 from behind the arc after hitting 13 treys against Houston to tie for the second most in NBA history. But he became eligible after he earned a professional sales degree from the College of Applied Science and Technology in May 2015. That was a thing that was important to the basketball program here, Lillard said. You have the potential to play big-time college basketball, but you cant even play for me. But I think the big takeaway for me, is the most fun Ive had and the thing I get the most emotional about is the journey. NBA point guard Jason Kidd once attended there, but Lillard could not follow his path at the private school. All rights reserved (About Us). Oklahoma City (28-32) lost 124-115 at Sacramento (35-25). 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. Lillard set franchise and career marks with 71 points tied for the most in the NBA this season and 13 3-pointers in the Portland Trail Blazers 131 -114 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Shoots: Lillard With 19.8 points per game, Williams produced at about the same clip this season as Lillard did (19.4 ppg) after he transferred in for his junior year in 2006-07. Almost casual, like he made it look easy.. Point Guard I didnt want to be here. Join our linker program. inOakland,California (29-32, 11th place in NBA Western Conference). Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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. While the Warriors play just two miles away, NBA success stories do not walk the city blocks of Brookfield. He connected on 22 of 38 field goal attempts while making 13 of 22 Portland (29-31) moved into 11th place in the West, one-half game behind New Orleans and Minnesota for the final two play-in berths, and three games behind Phoenix for the fourth seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. (Lillards) got so much dog in him and thats what I love about him. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The football team wears black and the Hells Angels spawned here. The force of his fourth-quarter dunk. Data Provided By But the name wasnt Damian Lillard. In his career, the Portland Trail Blazers guard has averaged 20.5 points per game, but he has never been able to reach that level. 8:01 am ET. Williams was reportedly an innocent bystander trapped in a fight between two men. I sensed that (from the crowd) very early, Billups said. The Portland star will look to resume his scoring prowess when the Trail Blazers host the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. The team has not yet made a decision on when Lillard will return to the court. They were right. They made it back to the NorCal semifinals in 2011 and, again, were vanquished. The Pelicans also will be without guard Jose Alvarado (lower leg) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (ankle). 6 overall. Inside the mind of Damian Lillard: Im not going to go away quietly. Like, when I walked off the court, I was like, am I supposed to be overly excited or what? Center Jonas Valanciunas (calf) and guard Josh Richardson (quadriceps) are listed as questionable. Every Sunday morning, Gamble showed up to unlock the doors at 9, and Lillard would be there waiting. To study it, to know it, to buy it. Damian Lillard doesnt think this a special day. amian Lillard has taken the NBA by storm as one of the biggest deep threats the league Lillard made his presence known immediately at Weber State. Find out more. 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. Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Houston started double teaming more aggressively, sending two defenders to greet Lillard at the half-court line, a tactic that backfired when Lillard continually hit open teammates on the Blazers first five possessions. International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. In the summer of 2007, Lillard was a member of Oaklands premier Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball program, the Oakland Rebels. It just felt like something, Lillard said. I think he got a little frustrated at the beginning of the third quarter, but he adjusted, he attacked the rim, he did good things defensively. Jason Quick is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Portland Trail Blazers. When he was a member of the basketball team at Weber State University, he was the schools second-highest scorer. Those are the moments I struggle with. Now that the NBA All-Star Game has passed, we look forward to an exciting second half of NBA action to decide which teams will make a playoff appearance. Ever. Big dude is a load, Watkins said. Even when Im on the 580 freeway in the summer and drive past here, I always drive and look over, Lillard said. Lillard and Adidas donated money to help refurbish Oakland Highs gym, add a new scoreboard and build a desperately needed weight room that led to the disposal of aged steel weights. Player stats broken down into various categories; i.e. All rights reserved. The Blazers (29-31) moved into sole possession of 11th place in the Western Conference with the victory over the Rockets (13-47). In a performance that coach Chauncey Billups called a piece of art, Lillard scored a franchise-record 71 points, which included a Blazers-record 13 3-pointers, to 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. We present them here for purely educational purposes. He wants to get there.. The central air didnt work; sometimes neither did the lights. The Blazers shot 54.5% from the field while hitting on 20 of 39 threes (51.3%). In addition, with one win, he is one win away from becoming the first player in league history to qualify for the playoffs in each of his six seasons. And just around the corner was the gym. But as his Oakland High School coach Orlando Watkins recently told NBA on TNT, Lillard launching long-distance shots at the end of games is nothing new. Youre not going to find Youngs tactics in a guide on how to coach youth basketball. He was named an All-Star in 2014 and has helped lead the Blazers to the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. 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. In his second season, he established a career high by scoring 41 points against the Sacramento Kings. In addition to becoming the fastest player in NBA history to reach 600 three-pointers in a game, he also set a record for the most three-point baskets in a game. "It's just a tough loss on our home floor. Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. (born July 15, 1990 ) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In his sweatsuit pocket was another bottle of water, unopened. Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said what stood out to him the most was how efficient Lillard was all night. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Learn more and register. But please consider that Lillard would not be relaxing inside this suburban basketball sanctuary as one of the top rookies in the NBA had it not been for his home sweet home. Damian Lillard played only 29 games due to a strained abdominal muscle that required surgery in his final season. He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasnt been able to in years and his knees still hurt. As one of the worlds most talented basketball players, he is an imposing figure. He worked harder than everybody else, Gamble says. New Orleans is just 7-18 during his absence. Aaron Fentress | The Oregonian/OregonLive, third all time behind Kobe Bryant (five) and Wilt Chamberlain (32), Lillards 71 points is only the 13th game in NBA history. This is the second time Lillard has surpassed 60 points this season and the fifth time for his career. Williams said he was thinking of the seniors when he fell to the floor, and Watkins listed the careers of five players coming to an end as what stung the most in a loss that ended an otherwise stellar season, Oaklands most wins in any of Watkins 17 seasons. Young saved his best and longest rant for Lillard. 1 Carondelet into Open final, Top seed Sacred Heart Prep boys upset by No. So he enrolled at Saint Joseph Notre Dame. Howard Gamble swears that Lillard kid still owes him a Spalding. Im positive that a lot of them had that kind of feeling. They pushed the ball. High School: Oakland High School [Oakland, California] Support OregonLive. We cant look at a game like tonight, like oh, we playing Houston, we supposed to win no. Or write about sports? Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Still, he scored 20 or more points for the 22nd consecutive appearance. Weber State, High School: The two close friends represented the starting backcourt in Portland for 6 1/2 seasons before McCollum was traded to the Pelicans 12-plus months ago. After hosting a rap concert with a HOME OF DAMIAN LILLARD sign in the background at his Oakland High School gym, the Portland Trail Blazers star took a moment to reflect while inspired students listened intently. Oakland taught Lillard hard work. 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. Besides, Lillard needed the practice if he was ever going to stop his shot from getting stuffed. He let me transfer to Oakland High before the year was over. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). You couldnt tell me it wasnt going to happen.. As a result, he signed a two-year, $120 million extension this winter, and he will lead a reorganized team in the coming season, with Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, and Jusuf Nurkic joining him. I did the urine test, then they backed that up with the blood draw tonight after the game. I was on the team, but wasnt getting in the games. Lillard found a home at Oakland High, where he led the league in scoring his junior season. Damian Lillard was largely overlooked as a high schooler. The Blazers star was honored with a retired jersey while gifting his schools sports and music programs. When the tree was taken down by the city when he was in 5th grade, his grandfather nailed milk crates to the telephone pole on Clara Street to form a makeshift hoop. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? The Blazers reported that Lillard had surgery to repair a core injury that was causing chronic abdominal pain, and the procedure was performed at The Vincera Institute in Philadelphia. And to his teammates, it was the almost effortless manner in which he tied the NBAs highest-scoring performance this season. Young first met Lillard in eighth grade and sized him up the only way he knew how brutally honest . Kidd starred in his sophomore year of high school at St. Joseph Notre Dame in Alameda, California, and Lillard did the same. 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. He just did what great players and leaders do, Billups said. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. We dont get a lot of this at school with Fetty Wap, Lil Uzi and DJ Esco, Dame right in front of us. A lot of times you dont get that inspiration right in your presence. Because I know how stuff goes. But once again, one point short.. Lillard scored 16 in the first quarter, 25 in the second quarter, nine in the third quarter and 21 in the fourth. According to 247Sports, Lillard was only a three-star recruit out of high school in Oakland, California. 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. Lillard scored a career-high 71 points to lead the Blazers to an 131-114 victory at the Moda Center. A Celebrity Net Worth estimate shows Damian Lillard has a net worth of approximately $100 million as of 2022, with a salary of approximately $40 million per year. The improvisation amid a charging defense. 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