Damian Lillard’s Surprising New Power Move at Weber State: What Does It Mean for His Legacy?

Lillard was surprisingly waived-and-stretched by the Milwaukee Bucks this summer, then signed to return home to the Portland Trail Blazers. He will spend the coming season rehabbing from a torn Achilles suffered during last season’s playoffs. Lillard will spend time this season mentoring the Trail Blazers’ young stars such as Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara and Yang Hansen. Now, it will have a new group to help mentor in Utah, as well.

A legacy continues in Ogden. Wildcat legend Damian Lillard is officially joining Weber State Men’s Basketball as the new General Manager.“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. 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…

A new era begins now.#WeberStateGreat #DameTime pic.twitter.com/MV3bVHX6stLillard has become the general manager of his alma mater, the Weber State men’s basketball program.

Damian Lillard isn’t just making headlines on the court these days—he’s stepping into a pivotal role off it, taking the reins as general manager of the Weber State men’s basketball team, his alma mater. It’s a move that echoes the footsteps of greats like Stephen Curry and Trae Young, yet with Lillard, there’s a palpable sense of deeper involvement—he’s aiming to do more than just lend his name to the program. With a genuine passion for nurturing talent and empowering players beyond their college years, Lillard is rolling up his sleeves to enhance the team’s resources, especially around Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities. Despite last season’s setbacks for the Wildcats, his commitment hints at a promising future both for the program and its athletes. And while he recuperates from his Achilles injury this upcoming season, Lillard’s mentorship will now extend beyond Portland, crossing state lines to influence a fresh crop of Wildcat hopefuls in Utah. This isn’t just a ceremonial gig—it’s Dame time for Weber State hoops. LEARN MORE“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. 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.”While these GM roles for NBA players are often more ceremonial — the star can help with recruiting, swing by some practices and stay in touch with players, has valuable experience, but is not the one making decisions on NIL money or anything on the court — Lillard is hoping to do a little more, part of which is boosting the NIL resources for the program. Here’s what he said at Weber State’s annual basketball alumni game, according to Isaac Fisher of The Ogden Standard-Examiner (hat tip Hoop Rumors).