Logo Lillard Steals the Spotlight

Naturally, I had to resist the urge to write about tonight’s Super Bowl. I love Pat Mahomes but I was rooting for my hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers. That’s what this article is about, though - my hometown.

I’m from Richmond, California, about 15 minutes north of Oakland. I do, however, have family that I spent a bunch of time with growing up that live in Oakland. My mom’s entire family is actually from various pockets of Oakland.

Damian Lillard. Brookfield’s finest. Logo Lillard. A man who goes by many names, is having one of the most dominant stretches in NBA history. Guess where Dame is from? Oakland, California!

No one in NBA history has averaged 45+ points and 10+ assists over a six game span. Lillard is the ONLY player to ever accomplish such a feat. He began with back-to-back 34 point games, following them up with a 51 point scoring clinic.

Logo Lillard has led the Portland Trailblazers to win four of their last five games. The last three coming against playoff contenders in the Lakers, Rockets and Pacers. Although the Blazers are battling through injuries and are a game and a half out of the eighth seed in the Western Conference, they seem poised for a late-season playoff push.

While all of this does inspire me to go to my local gym and try to fire off thirty foot three-pointers, it has done more for me.

Lillard at his core, is a kid from Oakland, California. He’ll tell you that himself. He’s even dedicated an entire chest’s worth of artwork to the city he so closely clings to. At my core, I’m just a kid from Richmond.

He’s overcome adversity from not making high school teams, to only being recruited by mid major universities. Lillard graduated from Weber State University and went on to become a Blazers legend and current MVP candidate.

I find his story so inspiring because our upbringings were so similar. If he is able to become one of the most elite talents in his craft, I can do the same in mine. While sports broadcast can be generally loud and to some abrasive, I seek to have the same quiet, confident demeanor Lillard does.

He may not constantly be in your face with trash-talk about how great he is, but he will make his presence felt on the court every night. I strive to maintain my own version of this mentality with my career.

As someone from the Bay Area with ties to the Town, it’s a great feeling to see the best point guard in the NBA be from where you’re from. I can’t think if anyone more deserving of this unbelievable streak of basketball dominance than Damian Lillard.