The Portland Trail Blazers star talks NBA championships — and says his new album is his “best one yet” in an exclusive interview with
While the NBA world speculates about his future in Portland, Damian Lillard says he’s busy growing on a personal level.
The basketball world’s rumor mill has been analyzing each update from the Portland Trail Blazers organization for clues about whether or not the 32-year-old is happy with the team’s front office. Still, the seven-time All-Star tells he has other things keeping him busy this summer.
For starters, Lillard, who makes music under the stage name Dame D.O.L.LA., says he’s releasing his fifth album next month. He promises will be his “best one” yet.
“I think every album is my best one, but this one I did most of while I was injured, so it wasn’t rushed because I had nine months of time,” he says.
Lillard says the quality of his upcoming album will be “transparent” for fans of his previously-released music. “I’m excited for people to hear the growth, and hopefully, my music has reached enough ears for people to be able to hear the difference,” he says.
He’ll also spend the summer preparing his body for the next NBA season. “When the season ends, I don’t take the summer off, and I continue to stay active.”
In addition to maintaining his on-court work, Lillard says he uses the offseason to explore new hobbies. “I find things that I love to do, and I dive into them, like my music or boxing, or like my neighborhood and community outreach things, other businesses or partnerships that I have. Just anything I can do to have an impact,” he explains.
Among those partnerships is his collaboration with Modelo, the beer that Lillard says embodies his own “fighting spirit.”
“My story is perfectly in line with the fighting spirit of Modelo, and I was excited to be able to do my own commercial,” he says.
Keeping busy and getting involved in his community allows Lillard to continue “evolving” as a player, a rapper, and a person — each of which he says requires growth.
“In music, I think you live and learn. As people, we constantly evolve and we constantly grow and have different experiences,” he says. “As we age, even all the way into your seventies, your music could be different because you’re living differently. In the NBA, eventually you become who you’re going to become.”
Instead of the live-and-learn attitude he applies to music, Lillard says growth in the NBA is about “sustaining” a level of play he already knows he’s capable of in his eleventh year in the league.
“As a player, I am who I am. That doesn’t mean I can’t have a better season the next season or perform better, but this is who I’m going to be,” he says. “Now, I could be sharper at things. I could win more, and I could win the championship, which I haven’t done.”
Lillard continues, “I can accomplish more. But I think who I am is who I am, and it’s just about how long I can sustain that high level and how many small things I can add to it to keep it where it is.”
Lillard’s fans can connect with him via his Modelo partnership, which is an important element for him when it comes to being the face of a brand. “I’m excited to see how many people get involved,” he says of Modelo’s Summer Bucket Sweepstakes, which allows fans to chat with Lillard during his Instagram live streams all summer.
“I’ll be uploading a challenge on Instagram for people to do. There’ll be rewards that come with it and it’ll be a good time for the summer, I promise,” Lillard says.