Career Timeline of Damian Lillard: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Damian Lillard made an impact.
Damian Lillard, nicknamed "Dame Time", is a highly accomplished American professional basketball player currently playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. He was drafted sixth overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012, where he spent the majority of his career and became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Lillard earned NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2013 and was a seven-time NBA All-Star and seven-time All-NBA Team selection. He played college basketball at Weber State, earning All-American honors in 2012 before entering the NBA.
2010: Big Sky Scoring Leader and Foot Injury
In 2010, Damian Lillard led the Big Sky in scoring with 19.7 points per contest. However, he suffered a foot injury ten games into the season, forcing him to take a medical redshirt and sidelining him for the remainder of the year.
December 3, 2011: College Career-High 41 Points
On December 3, 2011, Damian Lillard scored a college career-high 41 points against San Jose State, including a game-clinching three-point play to give Weber State a 91–89 double-overtime win.
2012: NBA Draft Entry
In 2012, Damian Lillard decided to skip his senior season to enter the NBA draft. He finished his college career as the No. 2 scorer in Weber State history and the No. 5 scorer in Big Sky history.
2012: All-American Honors and NBA Draft
In 2012, Damian Lillard earned third-team All-American honors while playing college basketball for the Weber State Wildcats. He was also selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
2012: Sponsorship Deal with Adidas
In 2012, Damian Lillard signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Adidas.
2012: Drafted by Portland Trail Blazers
In 2012, Damian Lillard was selected with the sixth overall pick in the NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
2013: Revived Never Worry Picnic
In 2013, Damian Lillard revived the Never Worry Picnic in Brookfield Park, an East Oakland event that was discontinued when he was 12.
December 19, 2014: Career-High 43 Points
On December 19, 2014, Damian Lillard scored a career-high 43 points in a 129–119 triple-overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs.
2014: Playoff Series Win
In 2014, Damian Lillard helped the Trail Blazers win their first playoff series since 2000, making a buzzer-beating shot in Game 6 against the Houston Rockets. He was also named to the All-NBA Third Team at the end of the season.
2014: New Contract with Adidas
In 2014, Damian Lillard negotiated a new contract with Adidas potentially worth $100 million over 10 years.
January 5, 2015: 39-Point Effort Against Lakers
On January 5, 2015, Damian Lillard scored 39 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.
February 8, 2015: NBA All-Star Selection
On February 8, 2015, Damian Lillard was selected as a replacement for the injured Blake Griffin in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game.
March 4, 2015: Career-High 18 Rebounds
On March 4, 2015, Damian Lillard recorded a career-high 18 rebounds in a 98–93 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
July 9, 2015: Contract Extension with Trail Blazers
On July 9, 2015, Damian Lillard signed a five-year, $120 million contract extension with the Trail Blazers.
July 2015: Release of First Single
In July 2015, Damian Lillard released his first full length single, "Soldier in the Game", via SoundCloud.
October 28, 2015: Fastest to 600 Career Three-Pointers
On October 28, 2015, Damian Lillard became the fastest NBA player to reach 600 career three-point field goals, doing so in 247 games. Also, he recorded 21 points and 11 assists in a season-opening win over the New Orleans Pelicans, reaching 1,500 career assists.
October 21, 2016: Release of Debut Album
On October 21, 2016, Damian Lillard released his debut album The Letter O.
October 25, 2016: Season Opener Performance
On October 25, 2016, Damian Lillard recorded 39 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in the Trail Blazers' season opener against the Utah Jazz. He also passed Jim Paxson for sixth on the franchise career list (2,008).
2016: 51-Point Game and Franchise Records
In 2016, Damian Lillard scored a career-high 51 points against the Golden State Warriors. He also recorded 400 assists for the season, making him the first Trail Blazer with 400-plus assists in each of his first four seasons. He averaged 25.1 points per game, joining Drexler and Kiki Vandeweghe as the third Blazer to average 25-plus points. Finished 8th in the 2016 MVP Race.
October 6, 2017: Release of Second Album
On October 6, 2017, Damian Lillard released his second album Confirmed.
2017: Sponsorship Deal with Powerade
In 2017, Damian Lillard signed a sponsorship deal with Powerade, a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company.
2019: Sponsorship Deal with Hulu
In 2019, Damian Lillard signed a contract with Hulu to promote the streaming service's new campaign of adding live sports.
September 2020: Release of "Kobe" Single
In September 2020, Damian Lillard's single "Kobe", featuring Snoop Dogg and Derrick Milano, was released as part of the soundtrack for NBA 2K21.
November 20, 2021: Season-High Scoring Game
On November 20, 2021, Damian Lillard scored a season-high 39 points, along with 7 assists and 3 blocks, in a 118–111 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
2021: Playoff Career-High Performance
In 2021, during Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs, Damian Lillard achieved a playoff career-high of 55 points with 12 three-pointers and 10 assists. Despite his efforts, the Nuggets won in double overtime.
January 12, 2023: Season-High Scoring Performance
On January 12, 2023, Damian Lillard achieved a then season-high of 50 points in a loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, marking his 15th career game with 50 or more points.
September 27, 2023: Trade to the Milwaukee Bucks
On September 27, 2023, Damian Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a three-team trade.
October 26, 2023: Bucks Debut
On October 26, 2023, Damian Lillard made his debut for the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring 39 points and securing 8 rebounds in a victory against the Philadelphia 76ers. This marked a franchise record for a debut performance.
2023: Trade to the Milwaukee Bucks
In 2023, Damian Lillard was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks after requesting a trade.
January 14, 2024: Game-Winning Shot
On January 14, 2024, Damian Lillard scored 29 points, including a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer in an overtime win against the Sacramento Kings.
April 10, 2024: Featured in Mirror's Single
On April 10, 2024, Damian Lillard featured in Hong Kong boy group Mirror's single "Day 0".
November 2, 2024: 41-point Game
On November 2, 2024, Damian Lillard scored 41 points with nine assists, shooting 10 of 15 from 3-point range in a 114–113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
