Damian Lillard takes Boys & Girls Club on Toys ‘R’ Us shopping spree
If Damian Lillard didn't just warm your heart for the holidays, you're as cold as Frosty.
The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, who has the Trail Blazers off to a league-best 23-5 start, arranged for a bus to take 30 kids from the Boys & Girls Club of Portland to a Toys 'R' Us, where he handed out $100 gift certificates for a holiday shopping spree.
The Oregonian's Bruce Ely was there to capture the whole event in heartwarming detail.
"Because of what I've been able to do as a basketball player, it makes this stuff that much more valuable, because it puts me in position to do things for the community and for the kids," Lillard told the paper. "Just to see how they react, the smiles on their faces, that's everything for me, because growing up in the neighborhood I didn't have this type of stuff. I always knew that if I had a chance to do it, then I would want to see this happen. Playing basketball is nothing compared to stuff like this when you're in position to do it."
Lillard grew up in the East Oakland, Calif. neighborhood of Brookfield Village, a tough upbringing captured wonderfully by The Columbian's Candace Buckner earlier this year.
His back-to-back game-winning 3-pointers earlier this month will be tough to top, but this might just be the highlight of the potential NBA All-Star's sophomore season.
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