Simply by his presence, he’s the man of the moment in any of the six times he’s hosted the Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic. But this time he had a particular moment of his own to make.

He’s stepping into an active, official role for Weber State basketball as general manager.

“It’s something that, my relationship with coach (Eric) Duft and this program means a lot to me, and seeing the success of the program means a lot to me,” Lillard told the full gym that burst into a short cheer at his announcement. “I feel like I can do a lot to help the program be successful, to help the players even individually continue to grow their careers past college, that’s something that I’m passionate about.”

Details were light Saturday, but Lillard confirmed a long-rumored, long-awaited piece of news some around the program have discussed for four months as a potential gamechanger for the Wildcats in the NIL landscape. More information about the role is expected to be announced at a later date.

“All of the resources that I have, I’ve got an opportunity to be able to create for the program, while they’re in the program and even after the program, it’s something I’m excited about,” Lillard said. “I’m looking forward to doing that work, looking forward to continue to lift up the university, lift up the program. It’s going to be fun.”

Lillard opened the night that included a 3-on-3 tournament of alumni with the good news, two weeks after signing a contract that will return him to the Portland Trail Blazers.

This story will be updated.