PORTLAND, Ore. — UPDATE: The special price for the Dame 8 appears to have ended. A check of Adidas' website the morning of March 3 shows the prices have returned to normal.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW:
To mark Damian Lillard's 71-point performance, Adidas announced a reduced price of $71 for the Dame 8, Lillard's signature shoe. The price reduction is for a limited time, marked down from a suggested retail price that ranges from $95 to $140.
The Dame 8 sneakers went on sale for $71 starting March 1. Adidas didn't say when the price would return to normal.
Adidas also put up two billboards, one in Portland and another in Lillard's hometown of Oakland, that read "From O to 71: Remember The Why." The sneaker and apparel company also said it will donate $71,000 to a charity of Lillard's choice.
The billboards focus on the letter 'O,' which represents his hometown of Oakland and Oregon, the state where he's played and lived during his professional basketball career. Lillard has said he wears the letter 'O' on his jersey (not the number 0) to represent Oakland, Oregon and his college hometown of Ogden, Utah (Lillard played four years at Weber State).
The billboard includes a picture of Lillard as a middle schooler and a picture of the Blazers' superstar guard from his 71-point performance.
"Dame’s Why is rooted in his foundations in Oakland and commitment to the Blazer franchise, with both playing integral roles in his journey," said Jon Shaw, brand marketing director for Adidas Basketball.
Lillard set a career high and a Trail Blazers franchise mark with 71 points in Portland's win against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Lillard exited the game with 44 seconds left. His 71 points tied for the eighth-most points scored in a game in NBA history.
