Damian Lillard

Background

Damian Lillard was born on July 15, 1990, to parents Gina and Houston Lillard in Oakland, California. He has both a brother and a sister and he attended St. Joseph Notre Dame High School and Oakland High School, which offered him the chance to get more time on the court. When Lillard was younger, he always had a love of basketball and would regularly enjoy a game or two with his friends at the local basketball court. After completing high school, Lillard was offered a scholarship to Weber State University, where he attended and played basketball up until he completed his degree in sales in 2015. Lillard achieved great success there and led the Weber State Wildcats team to victory on many occasions.

Lillard’s professional career began in 2012 when he was signed by the Portland Trail Blazers and did very well right off the bat, earning him the title of N.B.A. Rookie of the Year for 2012. He continued to achieve great results in his second and third seasons for the team and in 2015 he signed a $120-million contract with the Trail Blazers for the next five years. Along with signing this massive contract, Lillard also expanded his brand into the music industry and released his debut single ‘Soldier in the Game.’

His exceptional skills on the court meant that Lillard was slowly becoming one of the top basketball players around and in 2017 his skills were awarded as he received the Magic Johnson Award, given to players who are skilled on the court and graceful while dealing with the press. In 2021, Lillard married his college sweetheart Kay’la Hanson with whom he has three gorgeous children.