NBA star Damian Lillard is giving back to the kids in his “rough” hometown of Oakland. The Portland Trailblazers guard felt that kids in his hometown neighborhood were exposed to some bad influences, more so than what he experienced growing up, so he wanted to come back “home” and give back. His partnership with sneaker retailer KICKS CREW helps Lillard connect with kids in his old community while helping to inspire them.
Damian Lillard – Instagram
Damian Lillard Returns to His Hometown to Serve
Growing up in Brookfield, a neighborhood on Oakland’s east side, Lillard, 32, said “drugs and crime” were rampant. There is little access to sports equipment at local parks and recreation centers. Now that he can help, he wants to give the kids in his old community some of the things he didn’t have growing up.
“We don’t have resources like that, but we have each other,” he said. Lillard recently told PEOPLE how he used to stay out of trouble as a child and appreciates the “balance of love, care and compassion” his family gave him. “That, mixed with a level of accountability, keeps me going the right way,” he said. “Having people around me who hold me accountable for everything. It’s like I know right from wrong because it’s always put in front of me like, ‘You know better,’ and ‘Don’t do this, you shouldn’t do this, this is why.’
Lillard, father of three, son Damian Jr., 3, and 21-month-old twins, son Kalii Laheem and daughter Kali Emma Lee with wife Kay’la Hanson, said he’s noticed a change in the community’s youth. Because he knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up in that particular community, the NBA star wants to be a role model for Brookfield’s kids. “Kids do things at an earlier age than we do,” he said. “I know what it takes. I know how important it is for them to see someone who is not only successful but someone who can also talk about the same kind of environment and upbringing.”
Damian Lillard – Instagram
Damian Lillard Wants To Inspire And Motivate Kids In His Hometown
Lillard believes he can inspire the Oakland kids saying, “I’m fighting the same battle they’re fighting. As an adult, that’s why it’s so important to me, because I know how valuable that kind of presence is.” Lillard and the KICKS CREW packed an ice cream truck full of shoes and other clothing to hand out to kids in Brookfield. “We were able to go out into my neighborhood, touch the kids who grew up on the same land that I grew up on, give out shoes, give out some shirts, be present, and I just loved it,” he explained. . “So the partnership is off to a great start and I’m also excited to be a part of KICKS CREW’s growth and bring what I can to the table, but also learn a few things along the way. I’ve just gotten to the point where the most important thing to me is giving back and uplifting people and making an impact on people.”
Lillard is proud of the fact that he always tries to help others. He wants people to see him for who he is, “a man of high character.” “I want people to believe in who I am as an athlete, but it’s also more important to me that they believe in who I am.” He said “the happiest moment is when the people and things I love are happy.” “The more I realize that, the more I like being a part of that kind of thing, and also aligning myself with partners and friends and people who feel the same way.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
