Damian Lillard

At 34 years old, Damian Lillard has this physical status:

Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr. (born July 15, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In 2012, he played basketball for the Weber State Wildcats and received third-team All-American honors.

Lillard was unanimously named the NBA Rookie of the Year after being selected by Portland with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.

He has earned four NBA All-Star awards and is one of four players in Trail Blazers franchise history to be a four-time All-Star.

Personal life

Lillard wears the jersey number No. 1 on his jacket. From Oakland, California, to Ogden, and now Oregon, a 0 representative for the letter 'O' and his journey in life. Lillard is a Christian; he has a scripture on his left arm, Psalm 37:1–3. In May 2015, he earned his bachelor's degree in professional sales from Weber State University. LaNae, Lillard's sister, attended Lakeridge High School. Houston, brother Houston, who received a football scholarship at Laney College while playing football, is a footballer in the Indoor Football League.

In the 2020–21 season, he became a fan of Keljin Blevins.

Damian Jr., Lillard's first son, was born on March 29, 2018. They live in the affluent Portland suburb of West Linn. Lillard created a RESPECT Service to benefit high school students in the Portland metro area.

Lillard signed a multi-year sponsorship contract with Adidas in 2012. Lillard negotiated a new deal with Adidas in 2014, potentially worth $100 million over ten years. The "Adidas Dame" is Lillard's signature shoe line with Adidas, which is also available in Lillard's "Adidas Dame" collection. Lillard signed a sponsorship agreement with Powerade, a Coca-Cola Company affiliate, in 2017. Lillard has also signed sponsorships with Spalding, Panini, Foot Locker, JBL, Biofreeze, and Moda Health. Lillard was one of a handful of NBA players to sign a deal with Hulu in 2019 to help the streaming service expand live sports to their library.

After his outstanding rookie season in 2013, Lillard revived the Never Worry Picnic in Brookfield Park. When he was 12 years old, the East Oakland festival was postponed.

Lillard, along with longtime friend and business partner Brian Sanders, became co-owner of a Toyota dealership in McMinnville, Oregon, in 2020.

Lillard's second and third child were born in January 2021 after his fiancée Kay'La Hanson gave birth to twins, a daughter named Kali, and a boy named Kalii. Lillard married Hanson in September 2021.

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High school career

Lillard started his high school years at Arroyo High School in San Lorenzo, California, and he joined the varsity starting lineup as a 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) freshman. Since his coach did not return to the team, he applied to transfer. Lillard's sophomore year, he attended St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, California, the same private school that had produced former NBA point guard Jason Kidd; however, a lack of playing time prompted him to change colleges yet again. He continued to play for coach Orlando Watkins at Oakland High School, where he was First Team All-League his junior and senior years. Lillard averaged 19.4 points a night in his junior campaign. When coaching the Oakland Wildcats to a 23-9 record, he averaged 22.4 points and 5.2 assists per game as a senior.

Lillard was not heavily recruited out of high school, but he accepted a scholarship offer to play for Weber State, a Big Sky Conference program in Ogden, Utah, but only as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com. Weber State was the first college basketball team to show any interest in him when head coach Randy Rahe turned up in person to watch Lillard play a game in Texas during his junior year of high school, according to Lillard. In part, Lillard decided to attend Weber State in Utah because he wanted to get away from his violent Oakland neighborhood. He had received competitive letters from universities including Wichita State, Saint Mary's, and San Diego State.

College career

Lillard, a freshman at Weber State, averaged 11.5 points per game and was named the Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Sky. He increased his scoring average to 19.9 points per game in his sophomore season and helped the Wildcats win the conference championship. Lillard was named Big Sky Player of the Year by the Associated Press at the end of the season, as well as an honorable mention All-American.

Lillard led the Big Sky in scoring with 19.7 points per game in 2010-2011 before suffering a foot injury ten games into the season that required him to take a medical redshirt and sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

Lillard, a redshirt junior, averaged 24.5 points and led the country in scoring for the majority of the year, but sadly finished second behind Oakland University's Reggie Hamilton. Lillard scored a college-high 41 points against San Jose State on December 3, 2011, including a game-clinching three-point play to give Weber State a 91–89 double-overtime victory. He was chosen to his third-team all-conference pick and received his second Big Sky Player of the Year award at the end of the year. Lillard was also a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award.

Lillard, who is widely regarded as the best point guard prospect in the country, decided not to return to his senior season to join the 2012 NBA draft. He was the No. 1 in college and finished his career as the No. 1. and the No. 2 in Weber State history (1,934 points) and the No. 91 No. In Big Sky history, he was the top scorer.

Professional career

The Portland Trail Blazers selected Lillard as the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. Lillard's season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 31, the only players in NBA history with at least 20 points and ten assists in their NBA debut. In addition, his 11 assists were the most by an NBA rookie in his first game since Jason Kidd (11) in 1994, and the most by a Trail Blazer in his NBA debut. On January 11, Lillard had career-high 15 field goals and a Trail Blazer rookie-record seven 3-pointers against the Golden State Warriors, where he finished with 37 points, six rebounds, and four assists. He was the first Trail Blazer to win an event at the NBA All-Star Weekend after winning the Skills Challenge. During All-Star weekend, he also competed in the Rising Stars Challenge, finishing with 18 points, three rebounds, and five assists in a game-high 28 minutes. On March 8, Lillard became the first NBA rookie to score 35 points, nine assists, and zero turnovers in a game since turnovers became a statistic in 1978–79 against the San Antonio Spurs. Lillard scored a season-high 38 points against the Lakers on April 10. He was named Rookie of the Month for every month, making him one of only eight players to receive NBA Rookie of the Month awards since the inaugural award in 1981–82. He finished fifth in 3-pointers made, 12th in points per game, tied for 16th in assists per game, and tied for 23rd in free throw percentages. He was one of ten NBA players to score 1,500 points, led all rookies in scoring (19.0 ppg), field goals (553) and free throws (2271).

Lillard won 19.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.90 steals, and 38.6 minutes in 82 games (all starting), but Blake Griffin (2011), David Robinson (1990), and Ralph Sampson (1984) were the only unanimous winners. He also tallied up to 500 points and 500 assists in a season, joining Oscar Robertson and Allen Iverson as the only rookies in NBA history to have a season-best figure. Lillard was the fourth member of the Cleveland Blazers to win NBA Rookie of the Year award and one of two to finish a season with at least 1,500 points and 500 assists (the other being Clyde Drexler in 1986–92). He set the all-time NBA rookie record for 3-pointers in a season (185), beating Stephen Curry's record of 181 three-pointers in 2005–05; and became the first NBA rookie to lead the league in total minutes played (3,167) since Elvin Hayes in 1968–69.

In the season's opener, Lillard scored 32 points against the Phoenix Suns on October 30, a season opener. On December 7, he had a second 32-point game against the Dallas Mavericks. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he had 36 points, ten assists, and eight rebounds on December 17. He had his second straight 36-point effort against the Minnesota Timberwolves the following day. Lillard scored a career-high 41 points, including 26 in the fourth quarter, defeating Portland's franchise record for most points in any quarter. He had a 38-point effort against the Indiana Pacers on February 7. Lillard made history by becoming the first NBA player to play in five games during the All-Star celebrations, including the Rising Stars Challenge, Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest, Slam Dunk Contest, and the All-Star Game.

Lillard's second year as an athlete started scoring in 82 games for the second year in a row. Portland finished fifth in the Western Conference with a 54-28 record, and the Houston Rockets defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2014 NBA playoffs. Lillard's first playoff appearance in Game 1 of the series helped Portland beat Houston 122–120. In Game 6 of the series, Lillard became the first player to win a playoff series after Utah's John Stockton beat Houston in 1997. Portland defeated Houston 99–98 after time expired, while Lillard had 25 points to help the Trail Blazers win their first playoff series victory since 2000. In the second round, the Trail Blazers lost in five games to the San Antonio Spurs. With a 25-point effort, Lillard had a series-best games in Game 4 and helped the Trail Blazers win their first game of the season. Lillard was named to the All-NBA Third Team at the end of the season.

Lillard played all 82 games for the Trail Blazers in the third straight season. He had career highs in points, rebounds, robbery, and field goal percentage, but he was averaged at 34 percent from three-point range. During the first two months of the season, he had a blast before he began to fail with his shot from January to January. Despite this, he set the record for most three-pointers in a player's first three seasons, led the team in Win Shares, and finished second in PER. In a 129-119 triple-overtime victory over the San Antonio Spurs on December 19, 2014, he scored a career-high 43 points in a 129–119 triple-overtime victory. He had a 40-point effort against the Oklahoma City Thunder four days later. He made a 39-point push against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 5, 2015. Lillard was selected as a replacement for injured Blake Griffin in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game on February 8, 2015. In a 98-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, Lillard scored a career-high 18 rebounds, earning a 98-93 victory. With a 51-31 record, the Trail Blazers made the Western Conference's fourth seed in the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs, they met the Memphis Grizzlies, who lost in five games. During the series, Lillard shot 16 percent from three-point range, with just 5-of-31 including going 0-of-6 in Game 1.

Lillard also signed a five-year, $120 million contract extension with the Trail Blazers on July 9, 2015. Lillard scored 21 points and 11 assists in a season-opening victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on October 28, 2015. His one three-point field goal during the game was his 600th career three-point field goal, making him the fastest NBA player to reach the record of 247 games. In addition, Lillard's 11 assists made him 1,500 for his career, making him the fastest Trail Blazer to reach the record since Terry Porter (1987-88 season, 215 games). Lillard became the first player to reach 5,000 points and 1,500 assists (248 games) since Derrick Rose (240 games).

Lillard became the first Blazer since Clyde Drexler in 1991–92 to score 600 points and 150 assists in the team's first 25 games on December 12. Lillard missed his first game of his career with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, snaping his streak of playing in 275 consecutive games. C. J. McCollum, the Trail Blazers' backcourt partner, was also late to the game, leaving the Trail Blazers without their two top scorers to face the Atlanta Hawks, subsequently losing the game 106-97. In a 91–78 loss, he missed six games due to the injury, returning to action against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 4 with 17 points and 7 assists. In a loss to the Golden State Warriors on January 8, he scored a then-high 40 points on January 8. He scored his 2,000th NBA field goal on January 18, one of only eight players to reach that number since being drafted in 2012. Lillard scored 15 points and 13 assists for his 10th double-double of the season on January 26, a career high. In a 137-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors on February 19, he scored a career-high 51 points. Since the robbery became a common statistic in 1973-74, he became the first player in NBA history to have at least 50 points, seven assists, and six steals. He scored 30 points against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, becoming the first Blazer to score at least 30 points in four straight games since Drexler achieved the feat in 1991. In the team's next game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 23, he extended his streak to five. Lillard's averaged 21.2 points and 6.2 assists per game in his first 300 games in the NBA. Only four other NBA players had averaged 21 points and six assists in their first 300 games: Oscar Robertson (30.2 and 10.1), Nate Archibald (24.4 and 6.4), LeBron James (26.7 and 6.4), and Dwyane Wade (24.0 and 6.4). In a 117–115 loss to the Toronto Raptors on March 4, he played his second 50-point game of the season.

In a 116-109 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards on March 8, Lillard had 41 points and 11 assists, marking his 15th straight game with 20-plus points. He had his 400th assist of the season, making him the first Trail Blazer with 400-plus assists in each of his first four seasons. Lillard scored his 827th career three-pointer against the Denver Nuggets on April 13, beating Wesley Matthews' record of 826. Lillard averaged 25.1 points per game during the regular season, while C. J. McCollum averaged 20.8, making them the first backcourt in Blazers history to average 20 or more points apiece. Lillard defeated Drexler and Kiki Vandeweghe in the third Blazer to score 25 points, making them the third Blazer to reach double digits. He came in eighth overall points received in the 2016 MVP competition, receiving 26 points out of a potential 1310 points.

The Trail Blazers advanced to face the Golden State Warriors in the second round after defeating the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. Lillard scored 40 points and 10 assists in Game 3 of the series, reducing the Warriors' advantage in the series to 2–1. In five games, the Trail Blazers appeared to have lost the series.

In a 113-104 victory over the Utah Jazz, Lillard scored 39 points on 13-of-20 shooting, as well as 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Lillard earned his first assist of the night by beating Jim Paxton for sixth on the franchise career chart (2,008). He scored 37 points, including the go-ahead floater with less than a second remaining in overtime, leading the Trail Blazers to a 115–113 victory over the Denver Nuggets. With 27 points against the Phoenix Suns on November 2, Lillard became the first NBA player to score 27 or more points in each of his team's first five games since Kobe Bryant in 2005–06. Lillard's 163 points in the season's first five games are the most ever by a Blazer to start a season. In the second half of the Trail Blazers' 105-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Lillard scored 27 of his season-high 42 points. Lillard had 262 points in the first eight games of the season, the most in the first eight games of a season. It was also the most by an NBA player since Bryant had 264 through the first eight in 2009–10.

In the Blazers' first 25 games of the season, Lillard scored a team-record 695 points, beating Clyde Drexler's previous record of 681 in 1988. After spraining his left ankle against San Antonio on December 23, he continued to miss five games between December 26 and January 4 for five games between December 26 and January 4. Lillard played 8,000 career points against Golden State on January 28, becoming the 11th Blazer to reach the championship and replacing Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only three players to reach 8,000 points and 2,000 assists in their first five seasons. Lillard, who tied for a career high with nine three-pointers, led the Trail Blazers past the Miami Heat 115-104 on March 19, scoring a season-high 49 points and carrying the Trail Blazers past the Miami Heat. On April 3, 2017, he was named Western Conference Player of the Month for March games. The Trail Blazers went an NBA-best 13-3-3 in March, rising to eighth position in the Western Conference, behind Lillard. Lillard finished third in the NBA in scoring (29.1 ppg) and tied for fourth in three-pointers made (55), with 6.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.44 steals in 16 games. Lillard scored a franchise-record 59 points and tied his career high with nine three-pointers to lead the Trail Blazers to a 108-86 victory over the Jazz. It was Lillard's 27th game of the season, with 30 or more points, a franchise high. He also became the fifth Blazer to score 2,000-plus points in a season. Lillard led the Trail Blazers to an 18–8 late-season rally, earning them the No. despite being ten games under.500 at the All-Star break. With a 41–41 record, 8 seed be seeded in the Western Conference, placing eighth seed in the Western Conference. For the second year in a row, the Golden State Warriors were in the first round for the second straight year. Despite Lillard's 34-point effort in Game 4, Portland went on to lose the series in a clean sweep. While shooting 43 percent from behind the arc, and 96% from the free throw line, Lillard averaged 27.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He was named the recipient of the Magic Johnson Award for the 2016–17 season on May 2, 2017, which honors the player who best balances excellence on the basketball court with teamwork and dignity in dealing with the media and the public.

Lillard won by 114–107 over the Phoenix Suns on October 28, 2017, marking a 9,000-point milestone in the third quarter. Lillard was the fastest Blazer to score 9,000 points in 412 games during his career. In a 99-94 victory over the Orlando Magic, he had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. He surpassed Mychal Thompson (9,215 points) for eighth on the franchise's all-time scoring leaders list during the game. In a 103-91 victory over the New York Knicks on November 27, he scored 32 points. He finished the game on 2,575 career assists, propelling him past Rod Strickland to fourth place in Portland's career assists list. Terry Porter and Clyde Drexler were among the only players in franchise history to finish in top ten scoring and top five assists. In a 124–117 loss to the Houston Rockets, he tied a franchise record with nine 3-pointers and scored 35 points. In a 111-104 loss to the Golden State Warriors two days later, he scored a then-high 39 points with five 3-pointers. In early January, Lillard suffered with a hamstring injury before putting his right calf into play. In a 119–113 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on January 12, he scored 23 points. With 9,753 points, he scored his seventh highest scoring debut in franchise history, defeating Geoff Petrie (9,732). Lillard was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played January 15-21 on January 22, 1991. It was his fourth week as a Week No. 1 player. He was named a Western Conference All-Star reserve a day later. In a 130-105 loss to the Toronto Raptors on February 2, he scored 32 points, making him the fastest player in franchise history to reach 10,000 points for his career. In his first six seasons, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Larry Bird, Nate Archibald, Pete Maravich, and Oscar Robertson became the eighth player to reach 10,000 points and 2,500 assists. Lillard scored a season-high 50 points in 29 minutes on February 9, his fourth 50-point game of his career. In the third quarter, he scored 22 points before dropping out the entire fourth quarter. He shot 16 of 26 from the field with eight 3-pointers to go with 10-of-10 free throws. In a 123-117 victory over the Warriors on February 14, he had 44 points and eight assists. In a 106-104 victory over the Suns, he had a go-ahead lay-up with 0.9 seconds remaining and finished with a game-high 40 points. In the fourth quarter, nineteen of his 40 points were scored, while the Trail Blazers roared from 15 down in the final 7+1 minutes. Lillard scored 197 points in five games between February 9 and 24, the most points for a Blazer in franchise history over a five-game stretch. In February, Lillard averaged 31.4 points per game, clinching the highest-scoring average for any month in Portland history. In March 1971, he tied Geoff Petrie for 30.4 points. Lillard made at least three points in his 45th straight game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 3, a franchise record. Lillard was the third player in league history to have 1,500-plus points and 400-plus assists in each of his first six seasons, with nine assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 15. Lillard's franchise-record streak of 52 games ended with a 3-pointer on March 20 against Houston. In a 102–93 victory over the Utah Jazz in the Trail Blazers' season finale on April 11, Lillard had 36 points and ten assists. With a 49–33 record, the Trail Blazers advanced to the third seed in the playoffs. Lillard finished fourth in scoring average in the NBA for the fourth season (199.9)—Drexler was the first Blazer to finish in third place in scoring during the 1991–92 season (25.0). He was voted to the All-NBA First Team for the third time in franchise history, joining Clyde Drexler (1991–92) and Bill Walton (1977–78). In addition, he finished 4th in the 2018 MVP Competition, winning 207.0 of the 1010 possible points.

Lillard had 19 points in Game 4 of the Trail Blazers' first-round playoff series against the Pelicans, winning by 131–123. Portland was pushed from the playoffs after losing the series in a four-game sweep. Lillard never scored more than 20 points in the series, and he was refused to serve less than three times.

In a 128–119 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Lillard's season opener on October 18, the Blazers scored a game-high 28 points in a game-high 28 points. In the second half of the Trail Blazers' 128-114 victory over the Orlando Magicians on October 25, he scored 34 of his 41 points. In a 120–111 loss to the Miami Heat on October 27, he scored 42 points, eclipsing the 11,000-point average. He had five assists against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 16, finishing third on the team's career list. In a 119–109 win over the Washington Wizards two days later, he scored 40 points. In a 115–112 victory over the Magic on November 28, he scored 41 points and set a franchise record of ten 3-pointers. His three 3-pointers in the third set a franchise record for a quarter. In the third quarter of the Trail Blazers' 131-127 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, he scored 22 of his 39 points on December 17. In a 110–109 victory over the Golden State Warriors, he hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds remaining in overtime and scored 21 points. In a 115-105 loss to the Warriors, he hit six 3-pointers and scored 40 points. It was his fifth game of the season, tied for his fifth career high. Lillard, the fastest player in Portland history, earned 35 points on January 14 against the Sacramento Kings, 115–107 loss. In addition, Lillard scored in double figures in his 184th game in a row, snapping a tie with Clyde Drexler for the franchise's record. Lillard led the Phoenix Suns to 24 points against the Phoenix Suns on January 24, the most by any Portland player through 50 games. In a 129–121 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 7, he scored a season-high 51 points. He scored 24 points in a 122–110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on March 15, becoming the second-leading scorer in franchise history, defeating only Drexler (18,040). Lillard scored 31 points and 12 assists in a double-overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets on March 25, his 20th game of at least 30 points and 10 assists in his career, beating Drexler for the most franchise games (19). He was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the seventh weekly award of his career and the first of the 2018–19 season on April 1, 2019. In April, he became the first Blazer to have 2,000 points and 500 assists in the same season, and the first Blazer besides Drexler to reach 2,000 points in two seasons with the team. He also hit a career-best of 229 3-pointers set in the 2015–16 season, bringing his overall record of 229 3-pointers to an end. Lillard finished 6th in the 2019 MVP campaign, winning 69 of the 1,010 available points.

Lillard defeated the Thunderbirds by 118-115 on April 23, 37-foot game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and finished with a playoff career-high 50 points to help the Trail Blazers beat the Thunder from the playoffs. He had ten 3-pointers, breaking the franchise record. In Game 1 of the second round, Lillard scored 39 points, defeating the Denver Nuggets 121–113. He scored 32 points in a 119–108 victory, tying the Trail Blazers and the Nuggets in a 113-108 draw. For the first time since 2000, he scored 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting in Game 7 in a 100-96 victory, advancing the Trail Blazers to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Lillard separated his ribs in Game 2 of the conference finals, but the Trail Blazers carried on the pain for the remainder of the season—a four-game sweep to the Warriors.

Lillard scored a career-high 60 points on November 8, 2019, but it came in a loss to the visiting Brooklyn Nets, 115-119. In a 129-124 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors on January 20, 2020, he would beat him by 61 points to go along with 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Lillard's average was 48.8 points per game from January 20 to February 1, his first career triple-double; he also had 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 125–112 victory over the Houston Rockets on January 29. He was named back-to-back Western Conference Player of the Week awards for his extraordinary scoring efforts. On January 30, Lillard was selected to his fifth All-Star nod but he was unable to participate due to a groin injury. He played six games from February 21 to March 2 for six weeks. Lillard played in the last four Blazers' games before the NBA hibernation due to the COVID-19 pandemic; he shot 40.8 percent from the field, 6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, while shooting 41.2 percent on 3-pointers, and 87.5 percent at the free-throw line during the game. Lillard was chosen to be the cover star for NBA 2K21 on June 30, 2020. Lillard scored 45 points and 12 assists in Portland's fourth game in the Orlando area after coming back from a four-month absence, and the Denver Nuggets won by 125–115 over the Denver Nuggets on August 6. He'll go back to those three days later and lead the Trail Blazers to 124–121 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. On August 11, Lillard threw a career high and 8 assists, leading to a 134-131 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. This was his third outing of the season, beating Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in the league to have such games three times in a single season. Lillard finished eighth in the 2020 MVP competition, receiving 23 of the 1,010 available points.

In a 123–122 victory over the Chicago Bulls on January 30, 2021, Lillard scored a season-high 44 points as well as a game-winning three at the buzzer. In a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on February 17, 2021, Lillard scored 43 points and tied for a career-high 16 assists. He became one of only 12 players in NBA history to have 40 points and 15 assists in a game. Lillard finished 7th in the 2021 MVP competition, earning 38 of the 1,010 available points. It was his fifth appearance in six seasons that he had been ranked in the top 8 in MVP polls.

Lillard led to a playoff record of 12 made three-pointers as well as 10 assists during Game 5 of the 2021 playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. To save Portland, Lillard won by three games near the end of regulation and near the end of the first overtime; the Nuggets, on the other hand, raped the Nuggets to a 147–140 victory, taking the series lead by a 3–2 tie. He had 29 points and 13 assists in Game 6, but the Blazers lost 126-115, sending Portland home for the fourth time in five years.

In a 118–111 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on November 20, 2021, Lillard scored a season-high 39 points, as well as 7 assists and 3 blocks. He underwent abdominal surgery on January 13, 2022, and was ruled out 6–8 weeks. Lillard's interim general manager Joe Cronin said on February 10 that he would not return to play again during the 2021-22 season. Lillard was officially out of the season for the remainder of the season on March 21. Portland missed the playoffs for the first time since Lillard's rookie season, winning the season with a 27-55 record.

Music career

Dame D.O.L.A., which stands for Different On Levels the Lord Allows, Lillard is a hip-hop artist and rapper from the name Dame D.O.L.A. He started rapping mainly to hang out in his cousin Eugene "Baby" Vasquez's car, who moved to Oakland from New York City in the early 1990s. Brookfield Duece, another big influence on Lillard's rapping was his cousin Brookfield Duece, who had some success in the Oakland rap scene.

He started "Four Bar Friday," in which he, and anyone else interested in participating post a video of themselves rapping a small verse on Instagram every Friday with the hashtag ###BarFriday. "Soldier in the Game," his first full length single on YouTube, was released in July 2015. Lillard's debut album The Letter O'sudo was released on October 21, 2016. Lillard's second album Confirmed debuted on October 6, 2017. Big D.O.L.A. Lillard's third album, Big D.O.L.A. Lil Wayne, Mozzy, and Jeremih were among the guests on August 9, 2019, featuring Lil Wayne, Mozzy, and Jeremih. Front Page Music, he now has his own record company, which includes Brookfield Duece in its lineup. Lillard's non-album single "Kobe," which was released in September 2020 and includes Snoop Dogg and Derrick Milano, is included in NBA 2K21's soundtrack as a salute to late Kobe Bryant.

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