GROUNDED BY THE ROOTS: ADIDAS AND DAMIAN LILLARD PRESS PLAY ON DAME 3

It all started on a milk crate. Damian Lillard’s grandfather would round up the leftover plastic boxes from Brookfield Elementary School, cut out the bottoms and nail them up on a telephone pole in their front yard so Dame could play basketball close to home. It’s a humble reminder of his beginnings rooted in Oakland, California and a neighborhood that laid the foundation to who Dame would become both on and off the court.

“Oakland taught him the good and the bad, toughness and determination,” explained his mother, Gina Johnson. “Raising Damian…our family did it as a team. He understands how to help others because that’s what he’s been nurtured in to. He’s going to make sure everybody knows there’s an opportunity out there for them to make it.”

Inspired by the family that helped Dame rise along his journey, from shooting on milk crates to playing on NBA hoops across the country, adidas introduces his third signature shoe with Dame 3. adidas and the Portland Trail Blazers captain continue to move athlete collaboration forward through evolved storytelling grounded by his roots and hooked to the soil of basketball, community and music.

“Damian inspires all of us with his path in life and his approach to the game, giving the design team plenty to work with. We set out to create a shoe that embraces who Dame is, from his debut album ‘The Letter O’ to his community efforts and all the unique ways he connects with fans,” said Jesse Rademacher, adidas Basketball Design Director. “Above all else, his commitment to kids and those around him show his true character.”

Founded on his creative ability as a storyteller with a deeper level of athlete insights and performance testing, Damian’s third signature shoe is built by years of close collaboration and designed to elevate one of the game’s most elite point guards.

“With this being my third shoe, it’s all about appreciation for the people that went out of their way so I’d be able to hoop growing up,” Dame said. “There were a lot of things that happened where if I didn’t have a strong support system – it probably would’ve drowned me. But my family helped me rise up, and now I want to inspire and encourage everyone else to do the same thing.” 

Dame continued, “Working with adidas, every step of the way is about telling my story. It’s allowing kids and people to relate to what I’ve been through. Everything has a story behind it. Similar to how I express myself through my own music, adidas embraces who I am to the fullest. You see it in the colorways and stories being told. That means more to me than anything else.”  

Roots – the first chapter of Dame 3 – returns to his early AAU days with the Oakland Rebels. He played for tough but fair head coach Raymond Young, who created a path for Dame’s unrelenting attitude by challenging players to hold bricks in each hand when practicing their defensive stance. Roots features a triple red design to remember each brick Dame carried, paying tribute to the moments that built his career early on. 

“He was teaching us that you got to be on time, you got to be a hard worker,” Dame recalled. “If not, this is what you’re going to do until you figure it out. For me, those lessons carried on past the basketball court.”

Hometown coordinates and initials of family represent the influential support Dame’s received on his journey, including:

• The initials of his mother and two grandmothers (Gina:Cecilia:Ruth) are molded onto the right toe while the initials of his father and grandfather (Houston:Albert) are showcased on the left
• The longitude (37.737 degrees north) and latitude (-122.188 degrees west) of Oakland’s Brookfield neighborhood are featured on the outrigger of the left and right foot, respectively
• 56316, the code displayed on the telephone pole in front his grandparents’ house where Dame learned to shoot on a milk crate, is featured on the center of the outsole
• “WEARING THE LETTER O” is printed on the left sockliner as tribute to both Dame’s pre-game introduction in Portland and his debut album titled “The Letter O,” signifying the three locations most important to his career – Oakland, Ogden and Oregon – printed on the right sockliner 

A customizable lacing system is equipped for unrivaled lockdown, designed to complement a TECHFIT bootie and uniquely hug the foot for personalized fit. Dame 3 features a fused mesh upper that ensures season-long durability without comprising comfort and breathability. A softer material execution along the upper maintains structure and support while also fulfilling “no break in time” on-court.

 The model’s traction pattern is constructed with geometric simplicity that ties back to Dame’s milk crate origins, while optimizing grip for his lethal step-back jumper. Wrapped TPU at the center of the foot represents Dame’s family support system with an internal torsion plate to provide fine-tuned stability. 

 Dual-density BOUNCE cushioning is engineered for natural court feel from tip-off to the final buzzer, delivering step-in comfort and optimized balance. Born from a “sit low, play fast” mentality true to Dame’s style of play, the silhouette is executed with high sides to enhance control and stability while keeping Dame close to the court when banking against defenders.  

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ADIDAS AND DAMIAN LILLARD CREATE THEIR OWN LEGACY WITH LATEST DAME 3

The legacy we leave is what we live for. It’s a resounding message Dame D.O.L.L.A. shares on the Juvenile assisted track “Legacy” featured on his debut album The Letter O. Dame details the trials and tribulations of his path to the NBA and his ultimate mission to “help them people rise up.”

“Back at home they like, ‘He made it’ / That decorated patience was amazing, looking back at the obstacles that he faced that ain't faze him / Bullets that could have grazed but it didn't, boy he a great one / Forrest Gump, he made it out and came back just to save 'em” – Dame D.O.L.L.A.

Dame has created a legacy both on and off the court through the toughness and determination that Oakland bestowed on him. To represent the pages in his life that have yet to be written, adidas introduces an all-white Legacy edition of the Dame 3 finished with a gum outsole.

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ADIDAS REMEMBERS DAME’S JOURNEY AT WEBER STATE WITH WASATCH FRONT

 Fresh out of high school, Dame found himself far from his hometown roots of Oakland. Off the second cut titled “Wasatch Front” from his debut album The Letter O, Dame D.O.L.L.A. takes us on that journey from Oakland to Ogden, Utah as he started his college career at Weber State.

“Reminiscing on the days I ain't know what was ahead / What I gotta do to make sho the family fed / Staring at the ceiling struggling to go to bed / Tryna pass class split the needle with a thread” – Dame D.O.L.L.A.

Celebrating his off-court passion and creative storytelling, the Wasatch Front edition represents Dame’s most trying and triumphant moments as he shifted from a young basketball player in Oakland to a franchise leader in Portland rewriting NBA history.   

Representing Weber State University’s unique identity, Wasatch Front features a dark gray upper with white BOUNCE cushioning, light gray accents and a purple sockliner and matching three stripes displayed on the outsole.

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ADIDAS AND DAMIAN LILLARD HIT THE ROAD WITH ON TOUR EDITION OF DAME 3

 “I love playing on the road because I like when I’m not in favor,” Damian Lillard explained.

When Dame D.O.L.L.A. hits the road, it’s time to put on shows in arenas across the country. To salute the moments Dame drops the mic and takes on the competition, adidas created a Blazers classic with the On Tour rendition of Dame 3.   

“I automatically snap in when we hit the road and from the time we land to when I’m getting on the team bus, my mind is free. I think it’s important to let your mind be free. Then when you're about to play, you lock yourself in to the task at hand.”

Equipped with a fused mesh black upper and contrasted by a white custom lace piece and matching three stripes, Dame’s On Tour edition pays unique tribute to Portland’s road uniforms. Red detailing is also featured on the midsole, outsole and Dame logo to signal the Rip City sign off.

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