Damian Lillard is a renowned name in the field of basketball and rap. As a professional basketball player, he is currently signed with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. Before playing for the Bucks, he was signed with the Portland Trail Blazers from 2012 to 2021.
During his time at the NBA, he has been very successful, winning multiple awards and accolades. For instance, he was honored as one of the NBA’s greatest players of all time after being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in October 2021.
As for his rap career, the Olympic Gold Medalist, whose stage name is Dame D.O.L.L.A., has released multiple albums, with some charting on the Billboard 200. Some of his albums are The Letter O, Confirmed, Big D.O.L.L.A., and Different On Levels The Lord Allowed.
Lillard’s basketball and rap endeavors have provided him with immense limelight. However, he hasn’t let fame go to his head and remains down-to-earth. He is close to his family and team members, whom he has symbolized through tattoos on his body.
Damian Lillard has almost 20 inks on his body
Lillard likes to remember people close to him and the things he likes. And what’s better to remember those people and things than to get a tattoo? So, that’s what he has done over time.
At the time being, it has been reported that he has around 18 tattoos, but the numbers might vary. These tattoos represent his family, hometown, friendship, and more. Below is a detailed look at all of his tattoos and their meaning!
Damian Lillard’s tattoos related to his family
Lillard got his first tattoo when he was 18, and it was related to his brother, Houston. During his 2019 feature with GQ Magazine, he broke down some of his tattoos and mentioned that he got his first tattoo at 18 after he joined college.
He showed his tattoo on his right upper arm that read “LB” with “Lillard” written above it and “Bros.” written below it. He stated, “My first tattoo is this one right here on my upper arm. And it’s like, you know, the Warner Brothers. The WB sign?”
Damian Lillard’s LB or Lillard Bros. tattoo (Photo: BodyArtGuru)
“It’s the same thing as that, but it’s Lillard Brothers. So me and my brother both got the same tattoo. That was the first one I got. I was 18. My mom would never let me get tattoos. I always wanted to get a tattoo, but she never let me do it,” he added.
He continued, “She was like, ‘Yeah, when you graduate high school, you can do what you want to do.’ Kind of had that type of attitude about it. And then, when I was going to school, we flew to Utah, we set my dorm up, and then we went to the mall just to look around, and there was a tattoo shop there.”
“And I was like, ‘Let me get a tattoo.’ My mom was like, ‘All right, let’s do it. I’m with you, get your first tattoo. I’m gonna make sure it’s a clean shop and that they do it right,’ and all this stuff. So we went in there, I got the tattoo, and she paid for it, too,” he concluded.
Daniel Lillard has a tattoo of his mother’s first name, Gina (Photo: BodyArtGuru)
Speaking of his mother, Gina, Lillard has a tattoo of his mom’s first name on the inner side of his left arm. In the tattoo, his mother’s first name ‘Gina’ is surrounded by clouds. Likewise, he has filled up his forearm with portraits of his family.
The NBA star did so as these family members are a big part of his life. For instance, he has a portrait of his grandfather, father, and uncle. He also has inked his sister’s name, Lanae, on his right arm. The ink reads “La Nae” and is accompanied by multiple stars.
Damian Lillard has a scripture inked on his left arm
After Lillard got his first two tattoos, he left off-balanced, mainly because those two tattoos were on his right arm. So, when he returned home for Christmas during freshman year, he went to church and got the idea for his next tattoo.
Speaking with GQ Magazine, the Oakland native stated, “During the time I was there, went to church, and one of the scriptures covered in that sermon was this scripture Psalms 37:1-6. It sat right with me.”
The scripture read, “Do not fret because of evildoers. Be not envious towards wrongdoers. For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green her. Trust in the lord And do good. Dwell in the land and he will give you the desire of your heart.”
“Commit your way to the lord. Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your Righteousness. As the light as your Judgement in the noon dry,” it concludes.
“I felt like it was a little bit about my story with how he went into the scripture and then how he talked about it. Just have faith in living right and doing right and being a good person. Over time, it’ll shine through,” Lillard told GQ how he felt.
Damian Lillard’s leg tattoos are of his children
Around a year ago, Lillard added some new portrait tattoos on his body; this time, it was of his children. His leg tattoos are pictures of his children when they were babies, which looks fantastic.
Damian Lillard’s leg tattoos are portraits of children (Photo: Instagram)
The basketball star has three children – son Damian Jr. and twins Kali Emma and Kalii Laheem – with Kay’La Hanson. Hanson is now Lillard’s ex-wife because, as of October 2023, Lillard has filed for a divorce.
Damian Lillard’s other tattoos revealed
Besides the tattoos mentioned above, Lillard has other inks on his body. One of them is a tattoo he got in June 2013. The tattoo is on his chest, and it’s of a heart through which branches expand upside and eventually form the word ‘Oakland.’
“Heart of the City” is written below it. He told GQ Magazine that getting that tattoo was the most painful, and he got numb. “My body was in shock. I just was like, ‘Whatever, just finish it.’ I wouldn’t do it again,” he added. This tattoo is also called The Oakland Tree Tattoo.
The 33-year-old also has tattooed the letter “O” on the upper part of his left arm, representing his jersey number for his hometown of Oakland. Likewise, he has a basketball tattoo with a writing that reads, “Forever Blessed.”
Similarly, Lillard has inked the Oakland Raiders’ badge on his right arm. On his right arm, he also has tattooed a badge through which wings come out with alphabets “CF” and the words “Certified Fly Guy” on its top and bottom. This was his second-ever tattoo.
Moving on, he has inked a sign and a red-color ribbon near the wrist of his right arm. In his right arm’s elbow, he has tattooed the words “JUNGLE BOY.” And he has a tattoo of a pocket watch with words inside it that reads, “LILLARD TIME.”
Lillard also has tattoos on his back, one of which is a five-pointed big star that consists of phrases from the Holy Bible. Furthermore, in the back of his neck is a heartbeat tattoo.
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