PHOENIX — Portland Trailblazer's Damian Lillard was back in the Valley with hopes to inspire the next generation of hoopers.
"To be able to share a lot of things I've been given and blessed with from those people that have helped me," Lillard said. "And to do this with a lot of young athletes because I know how much a difference it makes, brings me the most joy."
Lillard hosted the second annual Formula Zero Camp which took place in Phoenix and featured 40 athletes from around the country. Some of those included local rising stars such as Perry's Koat Pete and Jeremiah Johnson with Phoenix Prep Academy.
Formula Zero is a year-round mentorship community that pairs elite high school and college basketball players with the mindset and character of Lillard and his long-time basketball skills coach, Phil Beckner. It's a relationship between the two spanning nearly 15 years and one that has helped Lillard achieve the success he's garnered to this day.
"He pulled a lot of things out of me," Lillard said. "Had I never met him, I would've never gotten to know this version of myself. Now I can do the same thing for others, except I can do it a bit lighter than he does it."
Beckner and Lillard met back when he played at Weber State and wanted to fine-tune his game further. The results speak for themselves, although it took immense accountability to get there.
"When I was really hard and hard on Dame," Beckner said. "I was holding him accountable to the person and player I really thought he could become."
Now, the hope is to do the same for this group of student-athletes who aspire to create a legacy for themselves on and off the court.
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