NBA Star Damian Lillard Goes Back To His Hometown To Help Children In The Community

NBA star Damian Lillard is giving back to the kids in his "rough" hometown of Oakland. The Portland Trailblazers guard feels that children in his hometown neighborhood are exposed to some bad influences, more than what he experienced growing up, so he wanted to go back "home" and give back. His partnership with shoe retailer KICKS CREW helped Lillard connect with the kids in his old community while helping to inspire them.

Growing up in Brookfield, a neighborhood in the eastern part of Oakland, Lillard, 32, said "drugs and crime" were prevalent. There was little access to sports equipment at the local park and rec center. Now that he's able to help, he wants to give the children in his old community some of the things he didn't have growing up.

"We didn't have the resources like that, but we had each other," he said. Lillard recently told PEOPLE how he used to steer clear of trouble as a child and credits the "balance of love, care, and compassion" his family gave him. "That, mixed with the level of accountability, just kept me going in the right way," he said. "Having people around me that held me accountable for everything. It was like I knew right from wrong because it was constantly being put in front of me like, 'You know better,' and 'Don't do this, you shouldn't be doing this, this is why.'"

Lillard, father to three children, son Damian Jr., 3, and 21-month-old twins, son Kalii Laheem and daughter Kali Emma Lee with wife Kay'la Hanson, said he's noticed a change in the community's youth. Because he knows first-hand what it was like to grow up in that particular community, the NBA star wants to be a role model for the children of Brookfield. "Kids are doing things at an earlier age than we were," he said. "I know what's needed. I know how important it is for them to see somebody that is not only successful but somebody that can also speak on the same type of environment and upbringing."

Lillard believes he can inspire the children of Oakland saying, "I fought the same battles that they fight. As an adult, that's why it's so important to me, because I know how valuable that is to have that type of presence." Lillard and the KICKS CREW packed up an ice cream truck full of sneakers and other apparel to hand out to the kids in Brookfield. "We were able to get out to my neighborhood, touch kids that grew up on the same soil that I grew up on, give out some shoes, give out some shirts, be present, and I'm big on that," he explained. "So the partnership is off to a great start and I'm also excited to just be a part of the growth of KICKS CREW and bring what I can to the table, but also learn some things on the journey. I've just reached the point where the most important thing to me is giving back and lifting people up and having an impact on people."

Lillard prides himself on the fact that he's always trying to help others. He wants people to see him for who he is, "a high-character person." "I want people to believe in who I am as an athlete, but also it's more important to me that they believe in who I am." He said his "happiest moments are when the people and things that I care about are happy." "The more that I realize that, the more that I dove into being a part of those types of things, and also lining myself up with partners and friends and people that feel the same way."