Damian Lillard - More than a Player

Working in the NBA

The Assistant General Manager (my manager) of the Trail Blazers at the time called me into his office and said, “John, you should probably look to work for another team.  You’ve reached your ceiling here.  They’re not going to promote you, you know how it is here.” 

I responded, “I get it.  It’s okay.  I have other ways to fulfill my life rather than moving up a ladder.  And my #1 goal in basketball is to help Damian Lillard bring a championship to Portland and I can only do that here.”

Damian’s loyalty to the franchise bled through us all.  We wanted nothing more than to see him bring a championship to town.  And not only that, we believed he could.  And we wanted to be a part of it.

Dame never left anyone in the organization behind.

I sat behind the scorer’s table, running the clock for practice when a couple of vets on the roster started using slurs about one of our younger players.  Dame came up to them and said, “Hey, we don’t talk about people like that, show some respect.”  They scoffed at him and Dame responded, “Seriously, respect.”  The putting down of teammates ended there.

Dame would rent out the theater at Bridgeport Village and we would all head over to watch a movie together. That in and of itself was special but the thing I always remembered was him going, “Hey, make sure all the team attendants and ball boys/girls are invited too.” 

When practice was over, he would stay for at least an hour, getting shots up.  Nothing of his career was on accident.  It was work.  Hard work.  Day after day after day.  But then... after putting in the extra work, he'd go downtown to visit schools.

I was at Oaks Park for a YoungLife event and texted Dame some photos of people in his jersey.  His response, “Let me know when you’re there next time, I’ll be there.” 

He made sure his teammates were taken care of.  He made sure the staff were taken care of.  He made sure the city was taken care of. 

Even when the organization didn’t have our back, we always knew Dame did.

Dame asked me a couple of years ago how the staff would feel if he wasn’t there.  I told him, “Dame, we love you.  All of us.  No one wants you to leave but we also want you to have a chance to win a championship. We’ve got your back, no matter what.”

As much as we all wanted Dame to bring a championship to Portland, we could see the window closing as well.  The dream fell short for us all.  What Dame allowed us to experience as a franchise was beyond words.  I mean, c’mon, we got to rush an NBA court… twice! after series-clinching 3’s.  But off the court Dame is even more special.

Fans and media would always ask me, “What’s Dame really like?”

I’d always respond, “You know everything you read and hear about him, how great of a leader and person he is?  It’s all true but there’s so much more.”

I’ll always be rooting for Damian Lillard to hold up that championship trophy.  And I know when he does, he won’t just be holding it up for himself, but for his family, for all of his teammates and coaches along the way, for all of those students and communities he’s been a part of, and all of those who got to play some kind of role in his journey because that’s who he is.