Damian Lillard performed at a concert in Las Vegas (Video)

This year could’ve been the year that Damian Lillard cracked the U.S. Olympic roster. But, a foot injury prevented from Lillard from participating, so he chose to focus on his rap career over this summer.

Portland Trail Blazers star guard Damian Lillard would’ve been a likely candidate to make Team USA for the 2016 Rio Olympics, but a plantar fasciitis injury contributed in him being left off the roster.

With no basketball to focus on outside of offseason workouts, Lillard decided to focus on his rap career as “Dame DOLLA” and put on a show during his 26th birthday last week in Portland.

During Friday night’s festivities in Las Vegas that included Team USA’s first exhibition game against Argentina, Lillard performed at Planet Hollywood in Vegas for adidas’ #LVL3 event.

https://twitter.com/1014jonjon/status/756757235707944961

The show looked like a great time and even produced an appearance from Houston Rockets superstar guard (and fellow adidas spokesman) James Harden.

Lillard’s got game on the hardwood as one of the best point guards in the game today and he’s got some flow on the microphone, too. He has 20 tracks on his official SoundCloud account with some good bars on them. He’s been one of the few athletes to produce in his sport and on the mic. Other athletes have tried to have a music career and it’s been … an experience to say the least.

Any time someone like Lillard can get Harden to do a dance other than his “cooking dance” that led to Lil’ B’s curse being placed on him, you know he’s got some talent. (Just check out adidas’ Snapchat account: adidashoops.)

With John Wall becoming a sneaker free agent and Derrick Rose’s injury past holding back his on-court production in recent years, Lillard and Harden have become the two biggest stars for the adidas brand in the basketball category, along with Minnesota Timberwolves rising star Andrew Wiggins.

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