Former Weber State Guard Damian Lillard Marches In Peaceful Portland Protest
Jun 5, 2020, 10:16 AM | Updated: 10:22 am
Damian Lillard #0 looks on alongside head coach Terry Stotts of the Portland Trail Blazers prior to beginning the second half against the Miami Heat during their game at Moda Center on February 09, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Former Weber State and current Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard joined fellow protesters in a peaceful protest march in Portland, Oregon.
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Lillard marched alongside thousands of Oregonians in “The City of Roses” of Thursday, June 4.
The NBA All-Star has been vocal since the death of George Floyd that sparked worldwide protests. On May 25, Floyd, a black man, died after a white police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.
“Demonstrators who gathered in Southeast Portland for an eighth night of protests Thursday had one of Portland’s most popular figures in their midst. Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard joined the gathering, and marched with the group of protesters to Waterfront Park,” Jayati Ramakrishnan of OregonLive.com wrote. “Donning a teal mask, Lillard walked among marchers as the group of thousands made their way from Revolution Hall, across the Morrison Bridge and into downtown Portland.”
Our point guard 🖤 pic.twitter.com/6r0yxojcoc
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) June 5, 2020
According to Ramakrishnan, Lillard and the protestors stopped on the Morrison Bridge, linked arms, and chanted “I can’t breathe.”
Dame joined the protest in Portland
(via @Dame_Lillard) pic.twitter.com/i930FCAmEM
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 5, 2020
About Damian Lillard
The former Weber State guard has played his entire NBA career with Portland.
After starring for the Wildcats in Ogden from 2009-12, Lillard was selected by the Blazers with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award after his debut season.
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Since he joined the NBA, the guard has been named an All-Star five times. He was a member of the All-NBA First Team in 2018.
Lillard’s jersey was retired by Weber State in 2017.
Utah Jazz Players Speak Out About Racial Inequality
Like Lillard and other NBA players, members of the Utah Jazz have spoken out about the death of George Floyd, police brutality, and racial injustice.
Utah rookies Nigel Williams-Goss and Jarrell Brantley have both joined in Salt Lake City protests.
BLM ✊🏾 https://t.co/JGVwGfbgGB
— Jarrell Brantley (@jstuntbrantley) June 4, 2020
Jazz center Rudy Gobert expressed frustration about police brutality after seeing the video of Floyd’s death.
If you let your coworker do that to another human being without trying to stop him or talk to him out of it, you are as gulty as he is. Frustrating for the majority of good cops that take a lot of risk doing their job the right way everyday. https://t.co/HncJfZcVeD
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) May 26, 2020
Utah guard Donovan Mitchell has been very active on Twitter in the fight against racial injustice, encouraging people to speak up.
Your silence speaks volumes…
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) June 1, 2020
Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson posted photos on his Instagram of himself at a protest in Los Angeles.
Jazz head coach Quin Snyder joined the NBA Coaches Association’s committee to combat racism, racial profiling, and police brutality.
National Basketball Coaches Association Membership Statement on the Death of George Floyd pic.twitter.com/Yc7QNpnVr5
— NBA Coaches Assoc. (@NBA_Coaches) June 1, 2020
“Trying to be transparent with yourself and being a little bit uncomfortable knowing that, you know, in your heart, ‘I’m not a racist,’” Snyder said during a recent appearance the Woj Pod podcast with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “It’s also about being willing to have that dialogue, to be transparent, to be honest with yourself. And ultimately, I think as a white man, what I was hearing was, we need help.”
