Damian Lillard stops MrBeast from interfering with $100,000 on the line
Damian Lillard and a lucky fan held the limelight on Sunday before the Team OGs’ game against Team Candace in the NBA All-Star semifinal game. Lillard competed against Jaren Barajas in a logo 3-point contest hosted by YouTube sensation MrBeast.
The NBA star needed to hit three triples for his charity to win $100K, while the fan had to make one before Dame Time got his total to earn the prize.
Before the fan took his first shot, the Milwaukee Bucks point guard told MrBeast that the guest looked nervous. Jaren badly missed shots as the game went on, prompting Inside the NBA co-host Kenny Smith to give the youngster shooting advice.
MrBeast told the fan that Lillard might not miss again after the All-Star guard made it 2-0. Dame Time stopped the social media influencer from piling more pressure on Jaren.
The 2023 and 2024 NBA 3-point shooting champ had multiple shots that nearly went in before Jaren stunned the Chase Center crowd with a triple. Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, the NBA mascots and Lillard surrounded the shocked fan in celebration of the stunning upset, as MrBeast asked him to dive into the $100K prize.
It was a fitting end for the unheralded Jaren, who had nothing to lose but went home with the enviable award.
In the interview after his win, Jaren said:
"Save the money for college and help my family out.”
Damian Lillard was still a big winner despite losing the MrBeast's $100,000 Challenge
Damian Lillard did not go home empty-handed. He suffered a stunning upset to Jaren, but the NBA announced after the All-Star game:
“The NBA will donate $50,000 to Damian's newly established scholarship fund, the Damian Lillard Scholars Program benefiting 9 East Bay High Schools, and $50,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland and San Francisco.”
Had Lillard won the shoot-out, the $100K from MrBeast would have gone to his foundation. But with Jaren pulling off the shocker, the NBA responded by giving Lillard’s foundation a donation.
On the court, the nine-time All-Star was a big winner as well. Damian Lillard drilled the game-winning 3-pointer to help the Team OGs reach the championship game in the All-Star mini-tournament. Lillard also contributed to the OGs' title-winning romp against Charles Barkley’s Internationals team.