Athletes Turned Artists: How Damian Lillard Blends Basketball and Rap

Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr (born July 15, 1990) is a 34-year-old American professional basketball player. He’s 6ft 2in (188cm) tall and 195lbs (88kg) and is a point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, wearing jersey number 0.

Damian Lillard will play for the Bucks in the 2024–2025 NBA season. Perhaps his most notable moment came on January 16, 2025, when he scored 30 points in a 122–93 win over the Orlando Magic.

This is what NBA fans know. But do they know that Lillard has a music career alongside basketball? That’s right. As well as being a basketball player, Lillard is a professional rapper (by the stage name, Dame D.O.L.L.A. His records include The Letter O (2016), Confirmed (2017), Big D.O.L.L.A. (2019), On Levels the Lord Took (2021), and Don D.O.L.L.A. (2023). He has had features with Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, and Snoop Dogg.

Lillard’s versatility on the basketball court and in music is a testament to his diverse talents and interests. He doesn’t only impact the NBA as one of the greatest players of his century; his plays have influenced betting markets worldwide, and you can see his performances on sites like Expert Picks that reflect the world-spanning reach of his two-times career.

NBA Players Who Started Their Own Music Business

Aside from Damian Lillard, some NBA players have joined the music industry.

Shaquille O’Neal, the legendary player of the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won three straight NBA titles (2000–2002), could not be stopped off the court. He was an imposing center, standing 7ft 1in and 325 lbs. In his 19-year NBA career, he scored 28,596 points (23.7 points per game), 13,099 rebounds (10.9 rebounds per game) and 2,732 blocks (2.3 blocks per game).

Shaq took a musical direction parallel to his basketball career, releasing four rap albums. His debut, Shaq Diesel (1993), went platinum, becoming a surprising success.

Another example in “modern times” is Lonzo Ball, currently playing for Chicago Bulls in the NBA, who has averaged 11.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game over his career. Off the court, Zo (the stage name) dropped his debut, Born 2 Ball (2018), which peaked at No. 42 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart and No. 11 on its Heatseekers Albums chart.

Damian Lillard’s transition from NBA basketball player to rapper offers new sports identity and expression possibilities. His ability to continue to be the best in both fields and cultivate genuine relationships across multiple audiences provides insight into modern career development and personal branding.

While the relationship between sports and creativity remains open to debate, Lillard’s example might set an example for how other sportsmen come to approach creativity. His ability to pursue both careers at a high level, while still performing well in both arenas, presents promising opportunities for athlete development and creativity in the professional sports realm.

Praises are due for initiatives like this. After all, music is an art form that ignites passion not only in everyday people but also in famous personalities, such as the best basketball players. Next time you watch a Damian Lillard game and see him arriving at the arena with his headphones on, you might wonder: is he listening to his own songs? Who are his biggest musical idols? But that’s a topic for a future article.