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Damian Lillard shoots a deep, step-back 3-pointer over Ryan Richardson (22) during the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Robert Casey, Weber State Athletics)

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Damian Lillard signs an autograph for a young fan before the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner)

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Damian Lillard rises for a dunk during the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Robert Casey, Weber State Athletics)

Robert Casey, Weber State Athletics

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Eddie Gill holds his follow-through during the 3-point shooting contest, which he won, during the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner)

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Damian Lillard smiles as he talks with a fan and signs autographs before the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner)

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Dan Henry (2) lets a half-court shot fly during the shooting stars competition of the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner)

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Damian Lillard speaks with fans as he signs autographs before the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner)

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Damian Lillard brings the ball up the court during the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Robert Casey, Weber State Athletics)

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A line of fans waiting for autographs from Damian Lillard and other players forms in the Dee Events Center concourse, where it wrapped most of the way around the floor, before the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, in Ogden. (Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner)

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Current WSU head basketball coach Randy Rahe, right, speaks with former players Timmy Gibbs, lower left, Eddie Gill, and Damon King prior to the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner)

Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner

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Former Weber State basketball players watch a shot during the 3-point contest, from left, Josh Noble (21), Pat Danley, Chris Woods, Jamaal Jenkins (4), Damian Lillard, Doug Eilertson, Darin Mahoney (30), and Nick Covington (3), during the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner)

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As Steve Panos (45) defends, Damian Lillard rises for a 3-point attempt in this wide shot of the fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic on Aug. 20, 2021, at the Dee Events Center in Ogden. (Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner)

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OGDEN — Damian Lillard came into Friday’s fourth Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic mostly looking to take it easy and have fun.

Lillard, who has helped put on the event every other year since it debuted in 2015, said he hadn’t done much by way of workouts, and was trying to let a nagging injury heal, since he helped U.S. men’s basketball win the gold medal two weeks ago in Japan.

But Lillard settled into a groove late in the first half of the evening’s game portion. In the second half, he dunked after a string of three consecutive long 3-pointers, and finished his night with 41 points, 11 rebounds and a 15-of-33 shooting mark in all 40 minutes.

That second-half surge put Lillard’s Purple team up 79-69 with seven minutes left.

And that’s when an easy, fun night turned into a legitimate, back-and-forth tussle that elicited big reactions from the crowd of a few thousand fans and had the current WSU men’s basketball team permanently out of their courtside seats.

“I was like, man it’s getting down to the stretch, I’m gonna try to hit a game-winner,” Lillard said after the game.

The White team got an answer from Cody John (2016-20), playing in the alumni game for the first time. He made three quick 3-pointers of his own and teammate Kyle Bullinger (2008-12) hit a pair of free throws to cut it to 86-82 as Lillard and Nick Covington (2005-06) scored from deep for Purple.

Bullinger scored in the paint, the White team got a stop, and Lillard got screened off John as John moved to his right, raised and splashed his fifth 3-pointer of the night to put the White team up 93-92 with 30 seconds left.

Lillard missed a tough stepback, fouled his former teammate Bullinger to stop the clock, and the current boys basketball coach at Bonneville High School missed the front-end of a one-and-one bonus.

That gave Lillard one more shot to be the hero, though it wasn’t a clean one. With just seconds remaining, all Lillard could do was get off a running, pumping 30-footer that hit off the side iron, and John’s White team defeated Lillard’s Purple team by that 93-92 score.

“Cody got hot, he hit some shots. And it was fun,” Lillard said. “I was just happy it was a crowd-pleaser. Every shot, everybody was like ‘oooh! oooh!’ I think in an event like this, that’s what you’re looking for. You want to give the fans some excitement … they got a treat tonight.”

John finished with 22 points for the White team. Steve Panos (2006-10) had 11 points, Frank Otis (2011-13) had 10 points, and former star guard Eddie Gill (1998-2000) totaled seven points, eight rebounds and five assists.

After Lillard’s 41, the Purple team got 19 points from Covington, who matched John’s 5-for-9 mark from deep, and eight points from Nic Sparrow (1997-98, 2001-04).

Lillard’s life has been busy, to say the least. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the 2019-20 NBA season well past its normal summer end; teams turned around in two months and started the 2020-21 season in December; the next month as the calendar turned to 2021, he welcomed twin babies into his family with his fiancee, Kay’La Hanson, making him a father of three; Lillard’s Portland Trail Blazers completed the season and were ousted from the playoffs on June 3; and Lillard opened camp with Team USA on July 6 in a run that finished Aug. 7 when the U.S. won gold.

So why decide to hold the Alumni Classic in this, of all summers — and on the same day he released his fourth studio rap album under the artist name Dame D.O.L.L.A.?

“I’m already not going to get much of a summer, so I might as well continue to do the things I want to do as well. Music is something that’s a passion of mine, and also coming back and being a part of this and not letting it get too far away from us,” Lillard said. “If we didn’t do it this year, now instead of two years, it’s three years. I didn’t want to miss that opportunity.

“It’s always a pleasure to be back. I think everybody knows how much pride I take in being a Weber State Wildcat. Being able to put this event together is important to not just me, but all the alumni and everybody who was able to be part of it. It’s always a great time getting together with the guys.”

COURTSIDE VIPs

The courtside seats were filled with recognizable faces Friday night. Weber State’s current men’s basketball team, who was introduced to the crowd during halftime of the game, took up about one-third of the seating. On the front row, Lillard’s mother and fiancee sat with Dame Jr. and, going down the bench, former WSU assistant and current skills trainer to NBA players, Phil Beckner, sat with Phoenix Suns guard Mikal Bridges and three of Lillard’s Portland teammates in Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little and Keljin Blevins, the latter his cousin and an alum of Montana State.

GILL BEST FROM 3

After a one-hour autograph session in the concourse started the night, events on the court began with a 3-point shootout. Gill caught fire in both of his rounds and easily defeated all comers, including topping Sparrow in the final.

SHOOTING STARS

In the shooting stars contest, teams of three players work together to see who can make a layup, free throw, 3-pointer and half-court shot in the shortest time.

The team of Mike Sivulich (1989-93), Nick Hansen (2008-10) and Bullinger went first and ultimately roasted the field, completing the four-shot series in just 15 seconds.

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