Damian Lillard anti-bullying campaign

PORTLAND, OREGON - January 10, 2014 - Special Olympian Travis Koski shares his experiences with bullying as Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (0) makes a visit to Wilsonville High School to raise awareness for his anti-bullying campaign called "Respect, Pass it On". Bruce Ely / The Oregonian

Damian Lillard can still remember that Saturday morning in college. He was a freshman at Weber State in Ogden, Utah, and the basketball team was scheduled to make an appearance with some Special Olympics athletes at the campus recreation center.

“I showed up and I was half-hearted about it,’’ Lillard remembered on Monday. “It was a mandatory thing with the team, and my feeling was the only reason I was there was because it was something I have to do.’’

But then everything changed.

The athletes swarmed the team. One in particular took a fancy to Lillard.

“Jason Deppen,’’ Lillard said with a smile. “He was so happy to see me. He knew my name and everything, said I was going to make the NBA.’’

The next thing Lillard remembers, he was joining the Special Olympians in the layup line. Then he began throwing alley-oop passes. He says he still remembers the trash talk from some, saying they could dunk better than him, but more than anything, he remembers how much electricity and joy there was in the gym.

“I realized then, that I could change someone’s attitude, change someone’s mentality,’’ Lillard said. “I knew if I ever got to the NBA, I could have even that much more impact. So since that day, I’ve always wanted to be a part of Special Olympics. That’s when I really bought into it.’’

Today is the Special Olympics organization's sixth annual national "Spread the Word to End the Word" day that is aimed at eliminating the use of the words "retard" and "retarded." Lillard, who last summer was named a Global Ambassador for Special Olympics, has taken a pledge along with other NBA players such as Zach Randolph, to take a stand against the R-word.

“The purpose is to raise awareness, making people more conscious of how they pick their words,’’ Lillard said. “To just know that when you say stuff you can really hurt people, offend people. And that can go with a lot of other words. So if I can put my name behind that, and put the word out and make people pay attention to it, then this is a worthy cause.’’

Lillard, 23, was named a global ambassador last summer when he went to the ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., to participate in a celebrity game against Special Olympians. He has also taken part in clinics at the past two All-Star Games in Houston and New Orleans.

“The involvement of All-Stars like Damian demonstrates to the general public that our work is important and relevant,’’ said Peter Wheeler, chief strategic properties for Special Olympics. “I also believe it helps other people rethink their attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities.’’

Lillard said his support of the Special Olympics and Wednesday's national "Spread the Word to End the Word" day dovetails with his own "Respect, Pass it On" campaign that aims to end bullying in schools along with stressing the importance of respecting themselves and others while treating everyone as equals.

Lillard said his Respect program also resonates on a personal level dating to his sophomore year in high school at St. Joseph Notre Dame High in Alameda, Calif., a private school outside his hometown of Oakland.

Lillard noticed a group of kids picking on a student named Garrett, who had a learning disability, and it bothered him.

“I was offended how the supposed 'cool kids' treated him,’’ Lillard said. “There was always a joke made of him, like their way of feeling comfortable, but they knew he wouldn’t say anything back, so they would just say whatever.’’

So Lillard, who had yet to become a star on the basketball court but according to him was regarded as a “tough” Oakland kid, started hanging out with Garrett. They would make up stories about hanging out all weekend. Lillard even gave him a nickname: “G-Smooth.”

It wasn’t until his mom drove the two home one day that Garrett opened up and revealed how much the bullying affected him. Lillard said he started counseling and coaching Garrett. He told him when to stand up for himself, and when to ignore the jokes.

“I kind of changed him,’’ Lillard said. “He started talking more, started being more hip to stuff. He started to have confidence. Once I realized that me just having his back could help change his life, I started to understand how bullying could hurt someone’s self esteem.

“So I took that same approach with Special Olympics,’’ Lillard said. “Why can’t they be high school athletes? I feel like they need that same kind of support.’’

On Tuesday, Lillard became so ill the Trail Blazers sent him home from practice. He probably became even more sick knowing he had to miss attending a clinic for 50 area youths at adidas Village in North Portland. It was a chance to champion his two campaigns, and more precisely, a chance to make an impact.

“I enjoy doing it, and I’m happy that I can honestly say that,’’ Lillard said. “This means something to me, and I want to do more stuff like this. And I will do more stuff like this. If it means something to me, I will find time. You can always find time.’’