Derek Carr once paid perfect homage to Damian Lillard with audible call for deep 60-yard connect against Dolphins
NBA superstar Damian Lillard has etched his name in the world of sports so much so that he is being used as a reference even outside basketball.
One such instance was two years ago when Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr mentioned Dame’s name when he called for an audible against the Miami Dolphins.
An audible is when on offense, a quarterback calls for a new play at the line of scrimmage, which is different from the play called in the huddle, after looking at the defense.
“Damian Lillard! Damian Lillard!” shouted Carr as he called for a shot from deep.
The play that ensued saw Carr throwing a 60-yard pass in the direction of wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, who was sprinting past the 10-yard line. Unfortunately, the play was incomplete as the pass was overthrown.
The Damian Lillard reference was surely on point as the seven-time NBA All-Star has become well-known for draining deep jump shots far beyond the three-point line. Its reference also has a special meaning as the Portland Trail Blazers main man was originally from Oakland, where the Raiders used to play.
Among the deep shot game-winning moments of Lillard came in Game Five of the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder. As the time was coming to an end, with the score tied at 115-all, he brought the ball down, sized up the defense put up by Thunder All-Star Paul George, and then pulled up for a triple near half-court. The shot went in sending the home arena into celebration and eliminating Oklahoma City from the playoffs in the process, 4-1.
Aside from burying the 37-foot game-winner, Damian scored a playoff career-high 50 points in said game.
Lillard was selected sixth overall by the Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA Draft. He is now the team’s all-time leader in points (19,376), three points made (2,387), and free-throws made (4,427) while second in assists (5,151) and minutes played (27,941).
In July, however, he made it known that he wanted out of Portland and would try to win an NBA title somewhere else. His preferred destination is the Miami Heat although nothing concrete has come out of it yet.
Where did Damian Lillard go to college? Looking at the 7 times All-Star's pre-NBA career
Before making a name for himself in the NBA, Damian starred at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.
He joined the Wildcats in 2008 and averaged 11.5 ppg (43.4% shooting, including 37.4% from the 3-point range). During his freshman year, Lillard was named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Sky. The Big Sky Conference is associated with the NCAA's Division I as an athletic conference for amateur athletes in college.
In his second year, he was named the Big Sky Player of the Year. A foot injury, however, stymied his progress in his junior year, limiting him to just 10 games.
In his final year though, Lillard came back with a vengeance, averaging 24.5 ppg (46.7% shooting, including 40.9% from the 3-point range), 5.0 rpg and 4.0 apg. To put a cherry on top of his final year in college, Damian won his second Big Sky Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award.
All in all, he finished as the second-leading scorer in Weber State's history and fifth in Big Sky's history. He went on to declare for the 2012 NBA Draft, where he was selected sixth overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.