Every basketball player dreams of being honored with a statue at some point in their career. Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard recently got a statue built in his honor — but it’s not the type of sculpture he probably dreamt about as a kid.
Lillard played all four seasons of his college career for Weber State, which is located in Ogden, Utah.
On Monday, the Ogden City Council, in partnership with Weber State, unveiled a horse statue to honor Lillard. The horse sculpture had Lillard’s face on it along with an image of the Weber State Wildcats logo.
Wildcat great @Dame_Lillard will now have a horse in downtown Ogden! #WeberStateGreat pic.twitter.com/mmcStQZKfa
— Weber State Athletics (@weberstate) July 8, 2024
The choice to use a horse wasn’t one decided at random. Lillard’s horse was just one of several that were part of the “Trail to Pioneer Days” horse project, which its website describes as one of the largest public art projects of its kind in Utah. The life-sized sculptures are used to decorate the path leading up to Ogden Pioneer Stadium.
Lillard was a standout prospect at Weber State. In his senior year, he averaged 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 6th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.
Once he retires, Lillard will likely have a statue built in his honor at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. But until then, he’ll at least have his horse statue in Ogden.
