Damian Lillard Bio
Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed “Dame Time,” he was born on July 15, 1990, in Oakland, California, and has built a reputation as one of the league’s elite point guards through deep shooting range, late-game poise, and leadership. A nine-time NBA All-Star and the Trail Blazers’ all-time leading scorer, Lillard also serves as the general manager of the Weber State Wildcats men’s basketball program. Outside of basketball, he has built a parallel career as a rapper under the stage name Dame D.O.L.L.A.
Throughout his career, Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. has balanced on-court production with off-court ventures, including a long-running Adidas signature shoe line and multiple endorsement deals. He won a gold medal with the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
Early Life and Background
Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. grew up in Oakland, California, in a household that also included a sister, LaNae, and a brother, Houston, who went on to play quarterback in the Indoor Football League after a football scholarship to Southeast Missouri State. Lillard’s cousin, Eugene “Baby” Vasquez, moved to Oakland from New York City in the early 1990s, and another cousin, Brookfield Duece, had success in the Oakland rap scene. These relatives helped shape his early interest in both basketball and hip-hop music.
He began his high school career at Arroyo High School in San Lorenzo, California, joining the varsity starting lineup as a 5-foot-5 freshman. After seeking a transfer, Lillard moved to St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, California, the same private school that produced Jason Kidd, but a lack of playing time prompted another change. He finished at Oakland High School under coach Orlando Watkins, earning First Team All-League honors as a junior and senior while averaging 19.4 points as a junior and 22.4 points with 5.2 assists as a senior.
Regarded only as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com, Lillard accepted a scholarship offer from Weber State in Ogden, Utah, in part because he wanted to get away from his violent Oakland neighborhood. He later completed his degree in professional sales from Weber State University in May 2015.
Path to Basketball
At Weber State, Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. emerged quickly, averaging 11.5 points as a freshman and earning Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year honors. He raised his scoring average to 19.9 points in his sophomore season and led the Wildcats to a conference championship, finishing the year as Big Sky Player of the Year and an Associated Press honorable mention All-American.
In his junior season, Lillard led the Big Sky in scoring with 19.7 points per game before a foot injury forced him to take a medical redshirt. Returning as a redshirt junior, he averaged 24.5 points, led the nation in scoring for most of the year, and scored a college career-high 41 points in a 91–89 double-overtime win over San Jose State on December 3, 2011. He won his second Big Sky Player of the Year award, became a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, and left as the No. 2 scorer in Weber State history with 1,934 points.
Damian Lillard Career
Early Career (2012–2013)
Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. In his debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 31, 2012, he recorded 23 points and 11 assists, joining Oscar Robertson and Allen Iverson as the only players in NBA history with at least 20 points and 10 assists in their first game.
He swept Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors, set an NBA rookie record with 185 three-pointers, and became the first rookie to lead the league in total minutes played since Elvin Hayes in 1968–69. Lillard won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award unanimously, joining Blake Griffin, David Robinson, and Ralph Sampson as the only unanimous winners.
Portland Trail Blazers Breakthrough (2012–2023)
Lillard quickly became the face of the Portland franchise. In the 2013–14 season, he started all 82 games, led the Trail Blazers back to the playoffs, and hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer in Game 6 against the Houston Rockets to win the series, Portland’s first playoff series win since 2000. He finished the year on the All-NBA Third Team.
He continued his rise with All-NBA Second Team selections in 2015–16 and 2017–18 campaigns, plus an All-NBA First Team nod in 2017–18 when he finished fourth in MVP voting. Career highlights in Portland included a franchise-record 59 points against the Utah Jazz on April 8, 2017, and a 51-point outburst against the Golden State Warriors on February 19, 2016. He also won the Skills Challenge as a rookie and participated in a record five events during one All-Star Weekend.
On July 9, 2015, Lillard signed a five-year, $120 million contract extension with the Trail Blazers. He went on to set franchise records for three-pointers and assists while becoming the team’s all-time leading scorer.
Milwaukee Bucks Era (2023–2025)
On September 27, 2023, Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal that sent Jrue Holiday to Portland. He made his Bucks debut on October 26, 2023, scoring 39 points in a 118–117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, a franchise record for a debut.
During the 2023–24 season, Lillard scored 40 points against the San Antonio Spurs to surpass 20,000 career points, becoming only the fourth player in league history with at least 20,000 points, 5,000 assists, and 2,000 three-pointers. He was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, won the Three-Point Contest as the first back-to-back winner in over a decade, and earned All-Star Game MVP honors with 39 points and 11 three-pointers.
In December 2024, Lillard helped the Bucks win the NBA Cup with a 97–81 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. After suffering an Achilles injury during the 2025 playoffs, he was waived by Milwaukee on July 6, 2025, with the team stretching the remaining $103 million on his contract.
Return to Portland (2025–Present)
On July 19, 2025, the Trail Blazers signed Lillard to a three-year, $42 million deal, marking his return to the franchise after previously spending 11 seasons with the team. The move reunited him with the organization that drafted him in 2012.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lillard is known for his deep shooting range, his poise in late-clock situations, and his willingness to take and make difficult pull-up three-pointers. He pairs that scoring gravity with steady playmaking, routinely ranking among his team’s leaders in assists.
Notable Events and Milestones
Lillard’s signature moment remains his buzzer-beating series-ending three-pointer against Houston in 2014, the first such shot to win a playoff series since John Stockton in 1997. He also surpassed 2,800 career three-pointers by the end of the 2024–25 season, ranking fourth on the NBA’s all-time list.
Damian Lillard Career Wins
Across his NBA career, Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. has compiled multiple individual accolades, including nine All-Star selections, an All-Star Game MVP award, and an NBA Cup championship with Milwaukee in 2024.
NBA Highlights
Lillard has been selected to eight All-NBA Teams, including one First Team nod in 2017–18 and four Second Team selections in 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20, and 2020–21. He also made the All-NBA Third Team in 2013–14 and 2022–23, won the 2024 All-Star Game MVP, and lifted the NBA Cup with the Bucks in 2024.
Other Wins & Performances
Lillard won an Olympic gold medal with the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, cementing his place among the league’s all-time greats.
Damian Lillard Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. comes from a close Oakland family that includes a sister, LaNae, and a brother, Houston, who played quarterback in the Indoor Football League. Cousins Eugene “Baby” Vasquez and Brookfield Duece have shaped both his personal life and his music career, with Duece signed to Lillard’s own record label, Front Page Music.
Personal Life
Lillard was engaged to Kay’La Hanson, and the couple married in September 2021. Their first son, Damian Jr., was born on March 29, 2018, and twins Kali and Kalii were born in January 2021. By 2024, Lillard and Hanson were divorced. Lillard is a Christian with a tattoo of Psalms 37:1–3 on his left arm, and he lives in the Portland suburb of West Linn, Oregon.
2025 Season Performance
Lillard began 2025 still with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he was named a reserve for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, his ninth selection. His season was interrupted in March when he was ruled out indefinitely with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, and he returned briefly for the playoffs before suffering a torn left Achilles tendon in Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers, ending his year.
On July 6, 2025, the Bucks waived Lillard, stretching the remaining $103 million on his contract. Days later, on July 19, 2025, he signed a three-year, $42 million deal to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, the franchise that originally drafted him in 2012.
Looking ahead, Lillard is focused on recovery from his Achilles injury and a return to form in Portland, where he remains the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. His reunion with the Trail Blazers sets the stage for a sentimental comeback story and a potential mentorship role for the team’s younger guards.