Be a king in your mind but do the work of a servant
With a purpose on a mission you get to what you deservin’
If it’s worth it you be on straight and narrow instead of swervin’
Ignore the dream-killers and doubters ’cause they ain’t perfect.
Damian Lillard’s road to basketball superstardom was the one less traveled.
The Oakland native was barely recruited out of St. Joseph Notre Drame high school is nearby Alameda, CA. He played four years at tiny Weber State college in the northern part of Utah, becoming the rare senior lottery selection in June 2012. And after running away with Rookie of the Year, hitting a series-clinching game-winner in the playoffs, and establishing himself as the present and future of the Portland Trail Blazers over his first three professional seasons, Lillard has reached the point of crossover relevancy.
He’s a basketball player first and foremost, of course. But Lillard is without a doubt the sport’s best MC, too, combining natural flow with clever word-play and lyrical storytelling that makes it hard to believe his hobby isn’t his full-time job. Could the rapper known as Dame D.O.L.L.A. eventually drop a studio album? It certainly seems possible.
And no matter what, it’s clear that Lillard will continue blazing his own path – as a player, artist, and face of adidas basketball.
