OGDEN — Though the guest of honor will be in New Jersey, Weber State and Ogden City will stage a Damian Lillard Draft Day Celebration event on Thursday evening.
Weber State Athletics, the WSU Student Association and the city of Ogden will celebrate as Lillard joins the other top players in the 2012 NBA draft.
The pre-draft party will begin at 4:30 p.m. at The Junction in downtown Ogden. Festivities will include an outdoor block party with music and vendors. Mayor Mike Caldwell and the Ogden City Council will also declare June 28, 2012, as Damian Lillard Day.
A live showing of ESPN’s live coverage of the NBA draft begins at 5:30 p.m. on the Megaplex 13 Theater’s largest movie screen.
There will also be Lillard-signed memorabilia raffles and other giveaways. A Lillard wristband will be available, giving fans access to local business and dining deals that last throughout the weekend.
The event is free to the public. For up-to-date information, visit WeberStateSports.com.
While Weber State has had 14 players taken in the NBA draft through the years, the Wildcats have never had a first-round selection.
Lillardenjoyed one of the greatest seasons in Weber State history. He was named Big Sky Conference MVP, District Player of the Year and earned Third-Team All-America honors, becoming the first player in Big Sky history named to an All-American team.
The highest selection ever for the Wildcats in the NBA draft came in 1972 when Bob Davis was taken in the second round with the 14th overall pick by Portland. The last Weber State player selected in the NBA draft was Shawn Campbell who was picked in the fifth round of the 1985 draft by Phoenix.
The highest Big Sky player ever drafted was Montana’s Michael Ray Richardson who was selected fourth overall in the 1978 draft by the New York Knicks.
The only other player from the Big Sky picked in the first round was Rodney Stuckey who was taken 15th overall in 2007 by Detroit.
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