A sturdy 6-5, Watts looks like a man among boys and played like it. After being selected sixth overall in the 2012 NBA draft, the Trail Blazers selected Lillard in the first round of his NBA career. In his sweatsuit pocket was another bottle of water, unopened. He let me transfer to Oakland High before the year was over. And Lillard sat out when Portland won this season's first meeting, 106-95 on Nov. 10 in New Orleans. Stephen Curry's career high is 62, short of Lillard,'s 71, and his 11 50-point games also trail Lillard's total, as do Kevin Durant's nine. 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. When we started to see stuff like that, I think thats when it started it got serious. And to his teammates, it was the almost effortless manner in which he tied the NBAs highest-scoring performance this season. Williams, who had only played AAU before this season, said I always knew I had the talent, but that playing at the varsity high school level required a new level of discipline. He averaged 22.4 points and 5.2 assists per game his senior season and led Oakland to a 23-9 record. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 9:33AM. 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. And if the Oakland High students need even more motivation, all they have to do is learn Lillards bootstraps road to the NBA. All five of his points after intermission were earned at the stripe. Jason Quick is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard gives back to his Oakland, California, high school in a really big way. Damian Lillard on Twitter: "Shoutout to McDaniel High School's RESPECT Student of The Month, Mekai Anderson. Those are the moments I struggle with. Yes, Damian Lillard started in high school. First off, Lillard raps under the pseudonym Dame D.O.L.L.A. at When they respected his ability to drive, Lillard hit 3s. PORTLAND, OREGON - FEBRUARY 26: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers reacts during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at the Moda Center on February 26, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. To his credit, he just kept working, Lippi says. The contest was the second of a back-to-back for the Trail Blazers and Lillard had just returned from a calf injury. Thats what he carries from Oakland in his game to the NBA now.. He did it multiple times, in addition to on the video screen and on the basketball court. 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. Oakland lost that game 49-45 and Lillard fouled out late. "It's just a tough loss on our home floor. Every Sunday morning, Gamble showed up to unlock the doors at 9, and Lillard would be there waiting. A player must average 20 points per game to win a scoring title. Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Bradley Beal were chosen ahead of Lillard as a result of this selection. And I turned to him and said, Thats because they are expecting a run like, they are expecting something. And that was our interaction then we walked to half court.. We have to be unbreakable, Lillard said. The improvisation amid a charging defense. We just didnt execute down the stretch, Watkins said. There was a shooting at a game when I was in high school when we played at McAteer, he said. According to the team, Lillard is eager to resume his career, but there is no timetable for his return. Young first met Lillard in eighth grade and sized him up the only way he knew how brutally honest . A harrowing drug test after the game. 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. Right, Born: YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Lillard exploded from the get-go, scoring 16 in the first and a total of 41 for the half, which included an unreal 36 fast break three that was almost from halfcourt to close out his first half. Through the 1990s, Gamble worked at the Ira Jinkins Recreation Center commonly referred to by the name of its neighborhood. 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. Watkins offered to take him But baby brother kept fighting. They have been to the playoffs eight times, an excellent mark for Blazer fans. But today in East Oakland, theyll tell the stories. And after 39 minutes of absorbing double teams and traps, the point guard had six assists and only two turnovers. The Houston Rockets certainly fit that category and Damian Lillard did all that he could to make sure an upset loss didnt become a possibility. In Tuesdays 118 101 loss to the Jazz, Damian Lillard led all players with 21 points (6-10 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 6-6 FT). All Williams could do was fall to the floor. As a junior, he finished second in the country in points per game. Poole, Thompson rally Warriors back to beat Blazers 123-105, Official held in Vegas reporter killing aims to drop lawyer, Father of cellphone sees dark side but also hope in new tech, On college campuses, sports betting agreements are shielded, Washington bill would let transgender people seal name-change requests. 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. Lillards 71 points is only the 13th game in NBA history of 70 points or more and ties for eighth-highest ever. When we played at Mack, the seats were right on the court and they were always saying a lot of stuff in the crowd. 13 Campolindo in boys Division I regional, Christian high school basketball team forfeits tournament rather than play against transgender player, CIF NorCal basketball: No. As Watkins explained, Lillards size and role as a facilitator was a hang up for bigger colleges. He looked calm and cool while propped against the headboard of his bed, but after he was done critiquing everyone in sight, those players wanted to hide under the covers. Rap stars Fetty Wap, DJ Esco and Lil Uzi Vert also performed on a makeshift stage before Lillards arrival for the students, who knew all the latest dances and hip-hop slang. Damian Lillard has made at least $193,078,512 playing professional basketball. Oakland taught Lillard hard work. pic.twitter.com/2bxOgvcUKm. 6 overall. Since Lillard has been around, Portland has been as far as the Western Conference Championship once, where they were swept by Steph Curry and the Warriors. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Lillard has hit that mark twice and bested it once. High School: Oakland High School [Oakland, California] I stuck with it for the most part. At the 2010 All-Star Game, he became the first NBA player to participate in all five events. Lillard didnt take his first shot of the second half until 8:42 left in the third. And with Houston within eight nearing halftime, Lillard went into another gear, scoring 13 points in the final 2:27, which included 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions the last one from 36 feet. ', "You mean to tell me he was Logo Lillard back in high school too? He ultimately decided to attend Weber State, a small school in Utah. One team in particular, the Portland Trail Blazers, are on the bubble. After the performances by famous rappers, after the jersey retirement, the man whose name adorns the far wall grabbed the microphone. Steve Dykes. Center Jonas Valanciunas (calf) and guard Josh Richardson (quadriceps) are listed as questionable. Once he told me I could be a Division I player, that was all I needed to hear, Lillard says. Former UConn basketball star Cliff Robinson dead at 53, Gilsons Sports Guide: All-Star weekend is back. It was Lillard paying homage to a former employee, longtime Blazers communications vice president Jim Taylor, who commemorated each milestone scoring mark with a re-creation of the Chamberlain shot. And that takes some incredible discipline to know, alright, Im not gonna force it. Oct 15, 2021. So, Lillard backed off from scoring. 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. Lillard wears a tattoo of a psalms scripture on his left arm in honor of his Christian faith. 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. 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 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. That player was none other than Damian Lillard. Due to an abdominal injury that required surgery, he did not play in 29 games in the 2015 season. Shoots: He helped lead the school to a 21-10 record, 15-1 in the Big Sky Conference during the 2007-08 season. MaxPreps is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. The students received admittance for good behavior and class attendance. Theres no doubt about it: Lillard has never been able to convert those three-point attempts. Rappers Lil Uzi Vert, Fetty Wap and DJ Esco even showed up to support. Youre not going to find Youngs tactics in a guide on how to coach youth basketball. Dame, Dame Time, Big Game Dame, Sub Zero, Logo Lillard, Dame D.O.L.L.A. His voice rises and flashes hints of anger when he talks about his St. Joe days. To this day, Lillard, who normally speaks in measured tones and portrays a sense of indomitable cool, will break character on this topic. Im mad, but Im looking at the future, Williams said. The central air didnt work; sometimes neither did the lights. 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. The words cut deep, but Lillard was listening. 15 Sacred Heart Prep shocks Folsom, The Kings Academy survives Ygnacio Valley run, advances to NorCal D-III quarterfinals. 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 back of his jersey, if it had a name, would say, Williams Jr.). I remembered after [that shooting] happened they had metal detectors at games and your mom couldnt bring her purse in. 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. Williams went off for 12 points in the first half on Saturday. Oakland in Oakland, California, Draft: Funnily enough, the California native broke his franchises record of 61 points, which he has done on two other occasions. The timing for Lillards speech was intentional. These memories reveal the legend of a boy from Brookfield, cultivated and cared for by the hands in his hometown. In the 2014-15 season, Damian Lillard was named the NBAs NBA rookie of the year. In 2015, he signed a five-year contract with the Trail Blazers worth a total of US$ 120 million. By then, the crowd was standing every offensive possession, and when he finished the half off with a driving layup, he had 41 points a career best for a half and the Blazers led 73-58. Having 41 in the first half was insane, Billups said. This is right in front of us. As a junior at Oakland, he averaged 19.4 points per game. After his solid junior year, Lilllard would declare for the NBA Draft, and the Portland Trail Blazers would take him No. What High School Did Damien Williams Go To, What Classes Should I Take In High School For Aviation, Navigating The Risks Of Adolescence: Exploring The California State University Extended Risk And Wellness Course, Take Your Education To The Next Level: Exploring High School PG Classes, Promoting The Benefits Of High School Business Classes For Student Success, When Is The Best Time To Choose High School Classes? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He is the second in a line of Moneys, named after his father. His senior year saw him put up 22.4 points per game, and he was named First Team All-League. 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). In their next game, Lillard scored 36 points on 15-of-26 shooting. He was selected by Portland with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. He made every right play, Billups 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. He loves Oakland. As Money Jr. tells it, his grandmothers brother struck it rich, and she went on to bequeath one of her children with the name. The Trail Blazers will continue to fight despite losing one of their best players in the absence of Damian Lillard. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. All rights reserved. About the undersized point guard, overlooked by Bay Area schools, who went to Weber State with a chip the weight of one of those old dirty bricks on his shoulder and developed into the future of a franchise. 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. 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. The team has not yet made a decision on when Lillard will return to the court. Lillard told Oakland High students that he believed in them and that anything is possible. Considering the schools heralded alumni list which includes singers Sheila E. and Dawn Robinson, rapper and radio personality Sway Calloway, actor David Carradine, novelist, journalist and civil activist Jack London, former Major League manager and All-Star Bill Rigney and several notable politicians, civil dignitaries and athletes theres certainly reason to believe anything is possible from this school. To unlock the doors at 9, and the Portland Trail Blazers will continue to fight despite one! Multiple times, in addition to on the video screen and on video! Not gon na force it to an abdominal injury that required surgery, he said ties! ; sometimes neither did the lights most part Social Media Account, Last... This selection the legend of a boy from Brookfield, cultivated and cared for by the hands in his.. Addition to on the basketball court ', `` You mean to tell me he named. Shot of the year we just didnt execute down the stretch, Watkins.... 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