Damian Lillard
 Lillard posing with fans after a 2012 Summer League game | |
| No. 0 – Portland Trail Blazers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 15, 1990 Oakland, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Oakland High School (Oakland, California) |
| College | Weber State (2008–2012) |
| NBA draft | 2012: 1st round, 6th overall pick |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Playing career | 2012–present |
| Career history | |
| 2012–present | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard (born July 15, 1990) is an American professional basketball guard with the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was an honorable mention All-American in 2010.
Lillard, a 6'3" guard from Oakland High School in Oakland, California, played collegiately at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.
High school
Lillard played for coach Orlando Watkins at Oakland High where he was first team all-league his junior and senior seasons. He averaged just over 28 points per game as a senior with a single-game high of 45. He averaged 20 points, four rebounds and four assists his junior season.[1] Only regarded as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com,[2] he was not heavily recruited out of high school.
College
As a freshman in the 2008–09 season, Lillard averaged 11.5 points per game and led the Wildcats to the Big Sky Conference regular-season championship. He was named conference Freshman of the Year and first-team all-conference, the first Big Sky freshman to do so since Eastern Washington's Rodney Stuckey in 2006.
As a sophomore, Lillard took his game to another level. He raised his scoring average to 19.9 points per game and again led the Wildcats to the regular season conference championship. At the conclusion of the season, Lillard was named Big Sky player of the Year and an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press.[3]
In 2010–11, Lillard was again off to a good start. However, his season was cut short as he suffered a foot injury nine games into the season and was forced to take a medical redshirt.[4] Lillard was leading the Big Sky with 19.7 points per game before his injury sidelined him for the year.
In 2011–12, as a redshirt junior, Lillard led the Wildcats to a 14–2 record in Big Sky conference play and an appearance in the Big Sky championship game.[5] Lillard led the nation in scoring through most of the season,[6] averaging 24.5 points per game by season's end. On December 3, 2011, in Weber State's 91–89 double-overtime win over San Jose State, Lillard scored a college career-high 41 points, including both game-tying scores at the end of the second half and first overtime and a winning three-point play at the end of the second overtime.[7] His efforts earned him his third first-team all-conference selection and his second Big Sky Player of the Year award, and he was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award.[8] Shortly after the season ended, Lillard, widely regarded as the top point guard prospect in the country, decided to forgo his senior season and declared himself eligible for the 2012 NBA Draft.[9] Lillard finished his college career as the No. 2 scorer in Weber State history (1,934 points) and the No. 5 scorer in Big Sky history, despite missing a year of eligibility.
College statistics
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–2009 | Weber State | 31 | 29.4 | .434 | .374 | .841 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 11.5 |
| 2009–2010 | Weber State | 31 | 34.3 | .431 | .393 | .853 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 19.9 |
| 2010–2011 | Weber State | 10 | 28.5 | .438 | .345 | .857 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 17.7 |
| 2011–2012 | Weber State | 32 | 34.5 | .467 | .409 | .887 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 24.5 |
| Career | 104 | 32.3 | .446 | .390 | .867 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 18.6 |
Professional career
Lillard was drafted as the #6 pick in the 2012 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, making him the highest selected player coming out of Weber State University. He agreed to a deal with the Blazers on July 13. He was named co-MVP of the 2012 NBA Summer League, while averaging 26.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists. On October 31, 2012, in his NBA debut, Lillard recorded 23 points and 11 assists, joining Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas as the only players in NBA history with at least 20 points and 10 assists in their NBA debuts. On November 3, 2012, Lillard joined Oscar Robertson as one of the only players to record 20 or more points and more than seven assists in their first three rookie season games. On December 1, it was announced that Lillard was the Western Conference's Rookie of the Month for November 2012.
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
- Correct as of December 21, 2012
NBA regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Portland | 24 | 24 | 37.9 | .415 | .360 | .843 | 3.4 | 6.5 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 18.5 |
| Career | 24 | 24 | 37.9 | .415 | .360 | .843 | 3.4 | 6.5 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 18.5 |
References
- ^ http://www.weberstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=39379&SPID=3470&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=8600&ATCLID=1468041&Q_SEASON=2011
- ^ http://rivals.yahoo.com/basketballrecruiting/basketball/recruiting/player-Damian-Lillard-71279
- ^ "Damian Lillard Named 2009-10 Big Sky MVP". weberstatesports.com. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
- ^ "Lillard gets medical redshirt; Wildcat star's junior season restored". standard.net. Retrieved 14 December 2011.
- ^ http://www2.bigskyconf.com/news/2012/3/7/MBB_0307120245.aspx?path=mbball
- ^ http://www2.bigskyconf.com/news/2012/2/17/MBB_0217121444.aspx?path=mbball
- ^ Associated Press (December 3, 2011). "Weber St. 91, San Jose St. 89". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
- ^ http://www2.bigskyconf.com/news/2012/3/9/MBB_0309124949.aspx?path=mbball
- ^ http://www2.bigskyconf.com/news/2012/4/3/MBB_0403123109.aspx?path=mbball
- ^ http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lillada01.html