Damian Lillard Hopes for a Shoe and Rap Collab With Kanye West and Adidas

On the court, Portland Trailblazers starting point guard Damian Lillard regularly draws praise for his deft ball handling and clutch playoff performances. The Oakland, California native also united factions of NBA aficionados and music fans with some unexpectedly impressive bars in 2016 after a series of freestyle videos were released.

Having already inked a shoe deal with Adidas, Lillard recently expressed hopes of connecting with another musician endorsed by the three stripes brand.

“I think with us both doing music and him obviously being who he is and also being with adidas and having a shoe line, I think it’d be a cold collaboration if we did music together and a shoe together,” Lillard told Drew Ruiz when asked about potentially working with Kanye West in a recent interview with Slam. “That’ll be real cool to do.”

The logistics of such a pairing could prove challenging, as Lillard told a fan he avoids adding Adidas “Boost” technology to his signature Dame 3 sneakers in effort to keep costs down. Most of Lillard’s models retail between $115 and $140.

“Make my shoe more expensive than I want it to be,” Lillard replied.

Conversely, West’s popular Yeezy Boost 350 sneaker retails for about $245 with prices easily reaching the four-figure threshold on the resale market.

Things may be more practical on the musical side, as Lillard name-checked some of West’s inspirations, including Notorious B.I.G., Andre 3000, and Lil Wayne as some of his favorites.

You can check out the entire interview with Damian Lillard at SlamOnline.com.