PORTLAND -- While Damian Lillard has always believed in himself and his abilities on the court, he even wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when he was selected by the Trail Blazers with the sixth overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft. He figured he’d have a chance to prove himself eventually, but he was also prepared for his first days in the NBA to be humbling. “I’ve always been confident, always expected a lot out of myself,” said Lillard. “Going out of college, I was just prepared for whatever. I was like, if it goes great, I’m ready for that. But if I’ve got to go to the G-League a few times, work my way into the lineup, don’t play some games, my trainers had that in my head, just be ready for whatever.”Of course, that “whatever” for Lillard turned out to be starting his first NBA game (not to mention the next 245) and being named Rookie of the Year by a unanimous vote. From there, it was All-Star selections, Dame Time, lifting the Trail Blazers to their first playoff series victory in 14 years with a series-ending buzzer-beater, a signature sneaker, taking over as the leader of a team that saw four starters depart and still making the postseason, becoming a father for the first time and being just the third player in franchise history to make First-Team All-NBA.And after playing in his 500th career game in Portland’s 99-92 victory versus the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night at the Moda Center, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. “I was like ‘Man, that’s a lot of games,’” said Lillard after his 500th game, all of which he’s started. “I’ve probably averaged 35 minutes in those 500 game, so I think that’s what really made it register in my mind. That’s a lot of experience out there.”Throughout the course of that experience, Lillard lead Portland to the postseason every year for the last five years while doing things that few other players have in their first 500 games. He’s third in NBA history behind only Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in terms of three-pointers made in 500 games, and is already Portland’s franchise leader in career three-pointers. He trails only Terry Porter in assists and only Clyde Drexler and LaMarcus Aldridge in points. And with 11,661 points, Lillard is 29th all-time in terms of scoring his his first 500 games, beating out the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Paul Piece, Tim Duncan, Stephen Curry, Chris Webber, Blake Griffin, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki, to name a few.
For as impressive as he’s been on the court, Lillard has comported himself off the court just as well, maybe even more so. From his influence in the Trail Blazers’ locker room to his substantial philanthropic endeavors to releasing two full-length albums under the nom de rap DAME D.O.L.L.A., the 6-3 guard out of Weber State has embraced his role as a leader not only in sports, but in the community at large. “Obviously Dame is an unbelievable player,” said Meyers Leonard, who is the only player who has been with the Trail Blazers for all 500 of Lillard’s games after being selected with the 11th overall pick of the 2012 Draft. “I always say this: it’s obviously about his play — he’s very talented — but it’s also about the man that he is, the teammate that he is, his leadership, his willingness to put in the work right alongside the rest of us, be a mentor to the young guys and obviously also lead us out there on the floor. He’s obviously got many, many more years in the league but you talk about a face of the franchise, face of the city, he just does it all really. He’s good with the community. I can’t say enough about him, he’s just a special talent, special guy, everything.”While proud of the accomplishment, Lillard was quick to point to those who put him in position to experience so much success in his first 500 NBA games. "Just a blessing to be able to have good enough health to be out there that many times and also to be able to do it in one uniform," said Lillard. "I’m really thankful for the opportunity from Day One from Coach Stotts, our entire coaching staff trusting me and allowing me to accomplish a lot of the things that I’ve been able to accomplish. Just an honor to be out there in good health for this great organization."With any luck, Lillard's next 500 games will be even more successful than his first. He's noted on multiple occasion that he wants to be considered the greatest player in franchise history -- a title he's already well on his way to assuming -- and has said that he wants to be around for as long as the team will have him, so there's reason to believe both he and the fans in Rip City will see that wish fulfilled. "I was kind of prepared for a tough road, so when I came and it was going smooth for me I was like, this is icing on the cake," said Lillard. "It’s been a great ride so far."