Blazers' Damian Lillard Takes on Surprising New Basketball Front Office Role

"A legacy continues in Ogden [Utah]. Wildcat legend Damian Lillard is officially joining Weber State Men’s Basketball as the new General Manager," Weber State's official X account reads. "Dame is stepping into a leadership role that will help shape the future of Wildcat hoops."

Lillard had been in town to celebrate Weber State's yearly Basketball Alumni Classic, reports Brett Hein of The Ogden Standard-Examiner. Lillard revealed his intentions to the Wildcat faithful following a 90-minute autograph session.

“It’s something that, my relationship with coach [Eric] Duft and this program means a lot to me, and seeing the success of the program means a lot to me,” Lillard said. “I feel like I can do a lot to help the program be successful, to help the players even individually continue to grow their careers past college, that’s something that I’m passionate about.”

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Now 35, Lillard may not be quite the clutch dynamo he had been during his All-NBA Portland prime, but he still remains an effective player on the hardwood when healthy. In 58 available bouts for the Bucks circa 2024-25, the 6-foot-2 pro averaged 24.9 points on .448/.376/.921 shooting splits, 7.1 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per.

Lillard is hardly the only NBA guard to take on a GM role with his alma mater while still an active player. Golden State Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry assumed an assistant GM position at Davidson in March, which prompted a flurry of similar deals — All-Star Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young took a similar role with Oklahoma, as did Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Terance Mann with Florida State.

"All of the resources that I have, I’ve got an opportunity to be able to create for the program, while they’re in the program and even after the program, it’s something I’m excited about,” Lillard added. “I’m looking forward to doing that work, looking forward to continue to lift up the university, lift up the program. It’s going to be fun.”

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