Damian Lillard's ex Kay'la Lillard issues 4-word statement as their son prepares to turn seven
Kay’La Lillard, the ex-wife of NBA star Damian Lillard, shared a heartwarming video on social media this week of their son as he prepared for his seventh birthday.
Damian Jr., Kay’La and Lillard's first child, was seen sitting on a throne with a No. 7 sign above his head. He was surrounded by heaps of golden balloons as his peers sang Happy Birthday to him.
With his birthday coming up in a few days (March 29), Kay’La Lillard couldn't believe how fast her boy was growing up. The proud mother shared the video on Instagram on Sunday, and added the following message.
"Baby boy slow down 😩🙏🏽☺️"
Damian Lillard, in the midst of a West Coast road trip with the Milwaukee Bucks, also made it a point to share the video on his Instagram account.
Born and raised in Northern California, Lillard chose to move to Utah to develop his game at Weber State University, where he met Kay’La. The two were close since their college days and were married in California in September 2021. In 2023, the couple filed for divorce.
The two have three children together, with their first child, Damian Jr, being born in 2018, and twins, Kali and Kalii, following in 2021.
Since making the jump to the pros from Weber State, Lillard has developed into one of the NBA's top scorers. He is a nine-time All-Star and is considered one of the league's most lethal 3-point shooters. Lillard is currently in his 13th year in the NBA. He spent 11 seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers before shifting to the Bucks in 2023.
Damian Lillard speaks with Slam Magazine about the motivation he receives from his kids
Damian Lillard had the distinct honor of being selected to be on the cover of Slam Magazine's issue No. 252 in October of last year. The 2024-25 NBA season preview edition was released with Lillard on the cover, sporting a classic green Bucks uniform.
The 34-year-old covered a range of topics with the popular magazine, including the Bucks' chances, his relationship with Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the motivation he receives from his three children.
"I get a lot of motivation from being a dad," Lillard said. "There are some mornings where I gotta work out at 6:30 and I’ll get my kids up and bring them in here .... I want them to be able to see, like, this didn’t just come out of nowhere. You gotta work hard for stuff."
Lillard also said he looks to his children for inspiration when the going gets tough. During the difficult stages of his career, he has thought about his kids and the importance of being a good role model for them:
"If I’m being criticized, or if I’m struggling, or if something makes me uncomfortable, I think about my kids when I’m having to respond to those types of situations ... How you represent yourself and what you stand on as a human, I think that’s most important."