PORTLAND, Ore. (June 28, 2021) – Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard will play for the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team at the Tokyo Olympics, it was announced today by USA Basketball.
It will be the first Olympic appearance for Lillard, who joins Clyde Drexler (1992) and Steve Smith (2000) as the third player to play for Team USA in the Olympics while on the Trail Blazers roster.
Lillard is coming off a 2020-21 campaign in which he was named All-NBA Second Team and was selected as an All-Star for the sixth time. In 67 games (all starts) for the Trail Blazers, Lillard averaged 28.8 points (45.1% FG, 39.1% 3-PT, 92.8% FT), 4.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 35.8 minutes. He set a franchise record for three-pointers made in a season (275) and logged 35 games of 30-plus points, also a franchise best. Among league leaders, Lillard ranked third in scoring, seventh in assists, second in free throw percentage, third in three-pointers made and third in free throws made (449).
Lillard previously made two appearances with Team USA in exhibition games prior to the 2014 FIBA World Cup.