Okay, so I wanted to mess around with this “Damian Lillard wave” thing I saw online. You know, the one where he waves goodbye to the other team after hitting a crazy shot? I figured I could try to recreate it somehow.

First, I grabbed my phone. Gotta have something to record with, right? Then I found a basketball. Luckily, I had one lying around in the garage. It was a little deflated, but hey, it would do the job.
Next, I went to my backyard. It’s not exactly a basketball court, more like a patch of grass and some weeds, but I figured it was good enough for what I was trying to do. I set up my phone on a little tripod thing I had, trying to get a good angle.
Then came the hard part: actually trying to make a shot. Let me tell you, I’m no Damian Lillard. I threw the ball up…and it completely missed the hoop. Like, not even close. I tried again, and again, and again. Each time, the ball went everywhere but in the hoop.
- Attempt 1: Airball. Way off.
- Attempt 2: Hit the backboard, bounced off wildly.
- Attempt 3: Somehow managed to hit the side of my house.
- And many more misses.
Finally, after like a million tries (okay, maybe more like 20), I actually got the ball in! It wasn’t pretty, it kinda bounced around the rim a bit, but it went in!
So, I immediately did the wave. You know, the Damian Lillard goodbye wave. I probably looked ridiculous, waving at my phone in my overgrown backyard, but it felt pretty good.

I checked the recording on my phone. It wasn’t exactly highlight-reel material. My shot was clumsy, and my wave was probably even clumsier. But, I did it. I made a shot (eventually) and I did the wave. Mission accomplished, I guess?
Maybe someday, I can go to a professional game and get to do it.