Commissioner David Stern is officially retired but he leaves behind a legacy of being one of the most successful commissioners in major sports history. Not only was the NBA struggling to fill the stadiums with fans when Stern took over as commissioner, they were struggling to get their games broadcast on live TV. That is a complete foreign concept today when the NBA really only looks up to the NFL in popularity.
One of the main things that Stern will be remembered for is his ability to manufacture and promote superstars. Stern was blessed with being the commissioner during the Magic/Bird/Jordan/Kobe/LeBron eras but the reason those guys are who they are is because the league did a superstar job at promoting and marketing these high level athletes.
At any point in time the league is aggressively marketing only a handle full of superstars that move the needle for basketball fans. Most of these players are in large markets like Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and New York. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul would headline the list of NBA superstars. Talent is only part of the equation when it comes to becoming a superstar, they also need to be marketable.
With all that said, it seems unreasonable for a superstar to be developed in Portland, which is a mid-market sized team in the NBA. But right here in Rip City, one of the next generation’s superstars is being developed step by step.
Damian Lillard wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school, spent four years at Weber State and then was the number 6 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. This is a very improbable path of a superstar. Most superstars come out of high school as McDonalds All-Americans, attend large colleges for one year, and get drafted at the top of the draft.
Momentum began building last season for Lillard when he began to be aggressively marketed by adidas. Not a lot of rookies sign major shoes deals early in their careers, yet Lillard signed a deal with adidas that found him at the center of the marketing campaign for their Crazy Quick shoe and also being honored by adidas by them releasing a special Rip City colorway of the Crazy 8 shoes.
When Lillard was unanimously voted as the Rookie of the Year, we knew that we had a real special player in Rip City that this team could build around for a long time.
During the offseason after his rookie year, he said that one of his goals was to become an All-Star in 2013-2014. That came to fruition a couple weeks ago when it was announced that he and LaMarcus Aldridge were chosen by Western Conference coaches to be reserves for the stacked Western Conference All-Star team.
Not only was his goal fulfilled but the continued progression of the budding superstar was being realized. The next week, news broke that he was going to be the first player to ever participate in all 5 events during All-Star weekend. Last season, Lillard won the Skills Challenge and participated in the Rising Stars Challenge. This year he looks to repeat in the Skills Challenge along with competing again in the Rising Star Challenge along with his first go-round in the 3-pt Shootout, Dunk Contest and All-Star Game.
These are career defining moments for a basketball player, especially one as young and capable as Lillard. Not only is Lillard seeing this phenomenal progression as a player and superstar, the Trail Blazers have had one of the best first half of a season they have had for a long time. This has the makings of a very fun run of seasons for this team.
In summary, Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland recently wrote about Portland’s point guard, “Lillard’s ascendance has been fast. At times, it seems like he’s cutting in line to become the best point guard in the NBA. In a league chock-full of ‘elite’ players at the position, the kid from Weber State has flashed unflappable confidence, breezy poise, and ferocious intensity at the end of games. Though he’s undersize by traditional standards, Lillard is the kind of point guard you’d design in a lab: He commands the floor, he shoots well, he’s fearless, and he improves.”
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