Damian Lillard has developed a reputation as one of the game’s most clutch players. When the game’s on the line, he’s the one that all of his teammates turn toward. He’s the superstar – the unquestioned face of Portland’s franchise. But he started out as just a kid from Oakland. And it’s the lessons he learned there that made him into the man he is today.
No player plays the game quite like Damian Lillard, and it’s safe to say nobody has a signature shoe quite like Dame’s either. The new adidas Dame 4 features a unique aesthetic and innovative design that’s built to match Lillard’s one-of-a-kind game. Let’s break down the tech:
New Flow: The Dame 4 utilizes a ventilated mesh upper for breathable comfort on the court, while lace cables offer a reinforced, lockdown fit.
Unstoppable Fit: A seamless collar design creates a sock-like fit for enhanced comfort that eliminates distractions during games.
Ball All Day: A bounce midsole offers the ultimate court feel and superior comfort all day long, keeping you fresh on the court.
A Cut Above: An evolved traction pattern is made to match Lillard’s unguardable offensive repertoire, keeping him on his feet and preventing slips.
Lillard’s shoes have always incorporated unique design elements that relate to Lillard’s past. On the Dame 4, there’s a string of numbers that go down the shoe’s tongue that reference a few critical moments in Lillard’s career.
35.12: These are the stats Lillard put up in his final AAU game. He had no scholarship offers prior to the game, but his performance helped put him on the map for college coaches.
“The 35 and 12 are my two favorites,” Lillard said. “They’re the numbers I had in my last AAU game. That’s when I earned my way into college. I didn’t have a scholarship. I was playing well the whole summer, and I remember that last game we played against a really good team. And I played out of my mind.”
25.6.4: This was Lillard’s stat line his senior year at Weber State, where he led the nation in scoring.
“I was coming off an injury,” Lillard said. “It was my fourth year in school. I fell completely off the draft board after my injury the previous year. That whole season, I never let off the gas. That was the most consistent I’ve been in my whole career. No drop-offs. By the end of the season, I had scouts at every game. I got it done. I brought ‘em out. So those numbers are really significant to me.”
6: After his senior season, Lillard was taken with the sixth pick in the draft.
0.9: That’s how much time was on the clock when Lillard hit a game-winner against Houston in the playoffs. He said it’s one of the best moments of his basketball career.
0: The zero represents the 0% chance everyone gave him to make the playoffs in the 2015-16 season after the four other starters from the previous year had left at the time. It’s also his jersey number, which represents the letter “O” and signifies his career trajectory from his hometown of Oakland to his college town of Ogden, Utah, to his professional team in Oregon.
Wear Testers‘s Nightwing2303 gives his take on the Dame 4s.
words // Brandon Richard
It was just last Wednesday when Brandon Roy found himself on the end of the Portland Trail Blazers bench fighting back tears because he had benched in favor of younger, inexperienced players. Once one of the most dynamic players in the league, Brandon’s career has been derailed in recent years due to multiple knee surgeries. He’s a player will all the will in the world, but does always get the necessary cooperation from his body. However, he looked a little like his old self in Game 3. He led the Blazers bench with 16 points and helped Portland get back in the series.
What started in Game 3 carried over to Game 4 in a big way. With the Blazers down 23 points in the third quarter, they turned to the guy that was once their closer for a spark. That’s exactly what Roy gave them, scoring 18 of his game-high 24 points in the 4th quarter to lead the Blazers to an improbable comeback win and even the series at 2 games a piece.
Elsewhere, the Indiana Pacers got on the board after beating a lackadaisical Bulls team behind Danny Granger’s 24 points. Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder put the Denver Nuggets’ backs against the wall by taking a commanding 3-0 lead in their series. Lastly, the upstart Grizzlies from Memphis continued to make fans in San Antonio nervous, beating the top-seeded Spurs 91-88 in Game 3.
Check out what kicks were worn on the court in another eventful day of NBA Playoff basketball.
Brandon Roy scores two of his 18 4th-quarter points in the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse.
DeShawn Stevenson shoots in his adidas adiPure Low PE.
Dirk Nowitzki shoots in a PE colorway of the Nike Hyperdunk 2010.
Peja Stojakovich shoots in the “Duke” Nike Zoom Kobe VI.
Nicolas Batum shoots in his adidas adiPure PE.
LaMarcus Aldridge drives in a new metallic silver Nike Air Max Hyperdunk 2010 PE.
Jason Kidd dribbles in the PEAK Kidd II.
Gerald Wallace shoots in the Jordan Play In These F.
Luol Deng drives in his Nike Air Max Fly By PE.
C.J. Watson wearing the Nike Air Max 360 BB Low.
Paul George receives instructions in the Nike Zoom Kobe VI POP.
Darren Collison runs the point wearing the adidas adiZero Infiltrate.
Danny Granger drives in his Nike Air Max Fly By PE.
Derrick Rose attempts a floater in the new adidas adiZero Crazy Light; Dahntay Jones defends in an iD colorway of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI.
Roy Hibbert shoots in the Nike Hyperdunk 2010.
Mike Dunleavy attempts a layup in the Nike Zoom Kobe VI iD.
Kyle Korver gets into position to shoot wearing the his Converse Star Player EVO PE.
Manu Ginobili drives in his Nike Air Max Fly By PE; Shane Battier defends in the PEAK Battier V.
Zach Randolph celebrates his heroics with fans wearing a Nike Air Max Fly By PE.
Mike conley breaks out a new grey colorway of the adidas adiZero Crazy Light.
Daequan Cook wearing the adidas Crazy 8.
Nene dunks in his adidas adiPure PE.
Birdman hypes up the crowd in a PE colorway of the Converse Star Player EVO.
Earl Smith shoots in the Nike Hyperdunk 2010.
Serge Ibaka shows the effects of a physical series in a PE colorway of the adidas adiPure.
Ty Lawson and Russell Westbrook scramble for the ball in the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse.
Kevin Durant drives in a new colorway of the Nike Zoom KD III.
images via ESPN