Who is Damian Lillard’s Mother? Early Life & Net Worth

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Gina Johnson is a proud mother of  Damian Lillard who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Like any other mother, Gina’s face lights up whenever she talks about her star son.

Damian Lillard is a four-time All-Star and the best point guard in the league.

Yet, according to his mother, Gina, after receiving all this name, fame, and money, he is still the same respectful kid and hasn’t changed much.

Damian was selected in the 2012 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers as the sixth overall pick.

He scored good points in his first match against Los Angeles Lakers and was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.

Damian Lillard with his mom Gina Johnson. (Pic Courtesy: Gina)
Damian Lillard with his mom Gina Johnson. (Pic Courtesy: Gina)

During Damian’s Lillard’s mother, Gina was his manager, chef, housekeeper, the voice of reason, and more.

Her only mission then was to allow her son to concentrate on his NBA Rookie of the year. Eventually, she succeeded in her mission.

It had been a roller coaster ride for both Damian and his mother, Gina, on the NBA journey. It was a challenging journey with struggling conditions.

Thus, Damian has enormous respect for his mom, who is always there for him.

This article will give insight into NBA star Damian Lillard‘s mother, Gina, her early life, bio, Family, and Net worth.

But before that, let’s examine some quick facts about Gina Johnson.

Damian Lillard’s Mother: Quick Facts

Full Name Gina Johnson
Nick Name Dame Dolla
Date Of Birth November 12, 1966
Birth Place California
Residence Oakland, California
Age 57 years old
Gender Female
Sexual Orientation Straight 
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
High School Not Available
Nationality American
Ethnicity African-American 
Father’s Name Not Available 
Mother’s Name Not Available
Hair Colour Black 
Eye Colour Black
Skin Colour Dark
Marital Status Divorced
Ex-Partner Houston Lillard
Kids Three: Houston Jr Lillard, Lanae Lillard, and Damian Lillard 
Profession Coordinator at Medical Insurance Company
Net Worth Not Available
Famous For Mother of Damian Lillard
Salary Not Available 
Social Media Instagram
Grandchildren 
Damian Lillard Merch PosterRookie Card
Last Update March, 2024

Damian Lillard’s Mother: Early Life

Gina Johnson, a resident of Oakland, now lives a comfortable life in Lake Oswego’s home. Nevertheless, things were not always okay for her and her family.

For about 18 years, Gina worked for a medical insurance Company.

She used to work so hard that later she became sick and had to visit hospitals frequently.

Likewise, for Damian’s mother, it was hard to attend the workdays due to her sickness and regular hospital visit.

Childhood picture of Damian Lillard with her mon Gina.( Source: Twitter)
Childhood picture of Damian Lillard with his mom Gina Johnson. ( Source: Twitter)

During those hard times, Gina was so stressed out. She didn’t know what to do. Finally, the only thing she could do was pray and ask for help. Indeed, God answered her prayers.

This was the time when Damian was going through his pre-draft pieces of training and workouts.

Because of his strong showings, good results were resurfacing. As a result, he got the best point guards in his draft.

Damian’s Life-Changing Event

The Portland Trail Blazers selected Damian in the 2012 NBA Draft as the number 6 pick two weeks later. This selection changed both Damian’s and Gina’s life forever.

Damian Lillard became Rookie of the year and NBA All-Star. He also signed an 8-year endorsement extension with Adidas worth $100 million.

These all occasions happened only in his second year in NBA.

Damian Lillard‘s mother no longer had to experience those health problems to get proper treatment. Also, he has not had to worry about job security. 

Nowadays, she only cares about her children and grandchildren. Gina and her daughter left Oakland, California, for Damia after his draft.

Gina is a happy and proud mother. After Damian accomplishes fate, Gina and her family live luxurious lives in a beautiful multimillion-dollar House.

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Damian Lillard Mother: Age, Height & Weight

Recently, Gina celebrated her 54th birthday on November 12. Judging from her age, she was born in 1966.

But age doesn’t matter for a person like Gina, who is full of life, energetic, and loving. 

Looking at her pictures, it looks like she stands 5 feet 6 feet tall and weighs around 90 kg.

Gina is a person who likes to exercise, go to walk, ad enjoy the outdoors.

Gina and Damian: Sweet bond between Mother-Son

Damian and his mother share a firm bond. So when Damian got his first NBA paycheck, he bought pieces of stuff for his mother, Gina, which she had mentioned years ago.

He also bought a brand-new car, especially for his mom. Damian feels so happy while buying stuff for his mom as there was not the most significant cash flow in the family while growing up.

So now, he doesn’t step back whenever he gets an opportunity to pamper his mom.

Damian even paid tribute to his mother, Gina, with his Adidas shoes, the Dame 5’s. Lillard wore his signature Dame 5’s with the mint color during game six against the Nuggets.

Point guard of the Portland Trail Blazer walks with his mother wearing Dame 5's shoe. ( Source: Twitter)
The point guard of the Portland Trail Blazer walks with his mother wearing Dame 5’s shoe. ( Source: Twitter)

He wore them again on Mother’s Day. Mint is Gina’s favorite color.

Gina Johnson: Family Members

Gina is a mother of 3 children; Houston Jr. Lillard, LaNae Lillard, and Damian Lillard. She was married to Houston Lillard.

Husband Houston Lillard

Damian’s Father, Houston, and her mom got divorced when Damian was in high school. But the couple had a good relationship even after the divorce.

Houston looks tough from the outside, but he is a very kind and sensitive person from the inside.

The kids with no parents and Father considered him a Father figure back in his home East Oakland.

Gina’s husband, Houston, kept his children from negative influences like drugs and gangs, as some of his relatives were involved in these activities.

Houston has a significant impact on his children’s life. He shaped their life, blocking negativity from them and tracking them in the right direction.

Though Gina and Houston got divorced, they fulfilled their duties as parents entirely and were very supportive.

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Younger Daughter LaNae Lillard

LaNae Lillard, mainly known as the sister of Damian Lillard, was born on February 25, 1998. She is the youngest one in the Family.

Gina’s youngest daughter is also involved in basketball. LaNae had played her first season of basketball on the Varsity Squad for the Pacers in 2014.

Damian Lillard and his Family. ( Source: Instagram)
Damian Lillard, his mom Gina, dad Houston, brother Houston Jr, and sister LaNae. (Source: Instagram)

LaNae, who stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, is also a perfect player with impressive arm strength.

Also, LaNae had once mentioned the drive from the three-point is probably the only thing common between his All-Star brother Damian and her.

For LaNae, it doesn’t hurt having one brother in NBA and another brother Houston, who is heavily involved in athletics. Instead, it gives her motivation to improve her moves. 

Eldest Son Houston Jr. Lillard

Gina’s eldest son Houston was once starting quarterback for the Tri-Cities Fever of the Indoor Football League.

Now he is the head football coach at Jefferson High School in Portland. Houston Jr. started his football career at San Lorenzo High School, Oakland.

After graduation, Gina’s eldest son played for Laney Community College. in 2005, he got first-team All-League honors for his outstanding performance.

A Look into Damian Lillard’s Life

Damian Lillard, the NBA star, was born on July 15, 1990, in Oakland, California. From his childhood, he was fond of basketball and skating.

He went to St. Joseph Notre Dame high school in California. After that, he attended Oakland High School. He was mentored by the coach Orlando Watkins there.

Also, he was offered a scholarship from “Weber State University” to play for them.

Basketball Career

The famous NBA player started his career with the Portland Trail Blazers. His first NBA game in 2012 was against Los Angeles Lakers; in that game, he scored 20 points. 

He was awarded the Rookie of the Year award for his outstanding performance that season.

Then in his second season against the Sacramento Kings, he scored 40 points and got the “All NBA Third Team” title.

 

In 2015, TrailBlazer signed a five-year contract with him that was worth $120 million.

In 2017, he was titled “Western Conference Player of the month.”

Recently Damian Lillard won his first-ever gold medal this summer at Tokyo Olympics.

Rap Career 

Damian is a basketball player, rapper, and hip-hop artist. “Soldier in the Game” was his first single, released in 2015 on Soundcloud. 

His famous singles are “Bigger than Us,” “Run it Up,” and “Shot Clock.” He also performed “I Wish I Could Tell You” as a featured artist.

Dame DOLLA is his stage name. Damian has two studio albums, “The Letter O” and “Confirmed.”

Personal Life

Damian Lillard, son of Gina Johnson, married his long-time girlfriend, Kay’la Hanson, on September 5, 2021.

Kay’la is from “Weber State University” and has studied nursing. The duo started dating during their college days at Weber.

The two welcomed sons Dame Jr. on March 29, 2018. In addition, the couple added two adorable twins, a girl Kali Emma Lee Lillard, and a boy Kalii Laheem Lillard to the Family this past January. 

Damian Lillard with his wife and children. (Source:  Damian"s Instagram)
Damian Lillard with his wife and children. (Source: Damian’s Instagram)

Gina Johnson’s son’s wedding was a star-studded affair, and she was delighted seeing her son tieing the knot with his college sweetheart.

Some Fun Facts about Damian

  1. His jersey number is ‘0’, representing his journey from Oakland to Ogden and now Oregon. 
  2. Damian has a college degree in professional sales from Weber State University.
  3. He is a Christian and has a scripture of Psalms on his left arm.

Damian Lillard’s Mother: Net Worth

Gina Johnson is now living a dream life and can afford a relaxing lifestyle thanks to her millionaire son.

In her early days, she used to work at a medical insurance Company. However, with that job, she can only fulfill the basic requirements for her Family.

Gina Johnson’s net worth has not been confirmed.

But her son changed her fate. In 2012 Damian signed a multi-year sponsorship deal worth $100 million with Adidas.

Now, he has his shoe line with Adidas called “Adidas Dame.”

Gina’s son also signed a sponsorship deal with a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company, Powerade, in 2017.

It is estimated that Damian’s net worth will be $40 million.

Damian Lillard’s Mother: Social Media Presence

Because of Gina Johnson’s loving, sweet nature, Damian’s fans are now her fans.

She has gained around 8,116 followers because of her intense love for her children and grandchildren on her Instagram account. Her Insta user name is @sugagee.

She often shares pictures of her adorable grandchildren. From her Instagram post alone, she is an outgoing and full-of-life type. 

Gina is also seen supporting her children in her social media post.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is Damian Lillard’s Mother, Gina Johnson, divorced?

Damian Lillard‘s mother, Gina Johnson, divorced her husband, Houston Lillard, when Damian was in high school.

According to Damian, his parent’s marriage didn’t work out, but it was not that bad after the divorce.

Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah
Sanjib Sah is an engineer and content writer passionate about sports and athletics. With a background in engineering and a love for all things active, Sanjib brings a unique perspective to the world of sports writing. Whether he is covering the latest trends in sports technology or sharing tips on improving your game, Sanjib's words are always rooted in a deep appreciation for players' hard work and dedication everywhere. In his free time, you can find him hitting the courts or hitting the trails, always looking for new ways to challenge himself and improve his skills.

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