Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard returned to his Oakland roots during NBA All-Star Weekend, embracing the NBA HBCU Classic as a revitalizing force for the city’s sports culture. With the Warriors, Raiders, and Athletics all departing Oakland in recent years, Lillard highlighted how events like Saturday’s showdown between Morehouse College and Tuskegee University reignite civic pride. This city needs this type of energy, he emphasized.
Over 4,000 fans filled the former Warriors’ Oracle Arena for the HBCU Classic, witnessing Tuskegee’s 68-55 victory powered by forward Trey Crawford.
Being in front of all these fans and Black culture... it was exhilarating,Crawford told reporters postgame. The event marked the fourth annual HBCU showcase during All-Star festivities, part of the NBA’s push to amplify Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Lillard recalled Oakland’s vibrant past:
I remember concerts, AND1 tours, Raiders games—this parking lot used to thrive. To now uplift HBCUs here? It honors legends like Gary Payton and Bill Russell who shaped Oakland’s identity.
Key Community Impacts:
- Steph Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation continuing Oakland education initiatives
- NBA Legends mentoring HBCU athletes during skills clinics
- ESPN broadcasting the game nationally for draft exposure
Former Warriors coach Keith Smart stressed events like these provide transformative opportunities:
These players now have the NBA as a big brother. That partnership breeds hope.Analyst David Aldridge noted the league’s intentionality matters: Giving HBCUs equal platform empowers these young athletes beyond measure.
With All-Star Weekend drawing global attention, Purvis Short (Jackson State alum) summed up the sentiment:
When HBCUs get this stage, it expands dreams.For Lillard and Oakland natives, the Classic symbolized both homecoming and progress—a blueprint for preserving Black athletic legacies nationwide.
