Golden State Warriors won the NBA finals, what will it mean for Baltimore-born Damion Lee?
Born on October 21, 1992, in Baltimore, MD, Damion Lee is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. He finished his college career at the University of Louisville. This was after transferring from Drexel University in the final year of his eligibility.
When he was still in elementary school, he was already generating plenty of headlines due to his remarkable early success on the basketball court.
At National Prep School Championship
Lee went on to have some impressive stats in his school career. In 2011, Lee had an average of 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game. This was a key factor as he led St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Connecticut to a record of 30-7 and the National Prep School Championship.
In addition, he was victorious at the National Prep School Championship. During that season, Lee received the prestigious honor of being selected for the first team of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (All-NEPSAC). He then received all-league honors at Calvert Hall College as a junior in High School, in Baltimore.
The following season, he was called to the first team of the All-Baltimore Catholic League. He also received honors on the second team of All-Metro from the Baltimore Sun.
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Lee’s Days with the Dragons
Lee started every game during his rookie season with the Dragons and finished with an average of 12.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Playing as a guard, Lee had a three-point shooting percentage of 37.5% and scored at least 20 points in five of his seven games. Lee concluded his second year in the squad with 17.1 points, which was good enough for first place in the team’s scoring. The highlight of his season was a 34-point performance in a victory over Old Dominion. That performance also recorded one of his three double-doubles scored that season and a remarkable 10 rebounds.
Lee first major injury
Damion Lee had an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the fifth game of what would have been his junior year. As a result of this, he could not play any more games during the campaign and had to sit out the rest of the season.
After the following off-season, Lee returned to the team and finished first in scoring in the CAA with 21.4 points. This included five different games in which he scored more than 30 points. However, his regular season was cut short because of a hand fracture that occurred in February.
Despite his excellent displays, the Cardinals could not play in the postseason. This was because the NCAA did not allow the Cardinals to compete in the tournament because of an ongoing investigation into a recruitment scandal surrounding the team.
Away from the court and following his postgraduate work at Drexel, Lee enrolled in the graduate program at the University of Louisville.
Turning pro
After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft, Lee was picked up by the Maine Red Claws in the NBA Development League. He subsequently played for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G League and, in 2018, finally made it to the NBA when he signed a short-term deal with the Atlanta Hawks. He became a free agent at the end of that season.
Damion Lee: Golden State Warriors Career
Upon joining the Golden State Warriors before the start of the 2018-2019 season, expectations were high because of Lee’s remarkable college exploits and his strong developmental form.
The 2018–2019 season was the first of Damion Lee’s professional career with the Golden State Warriors. During his rookie season, he participated in a total of 32 games for the Warriors. However, all of those 32 appearances were made from the bench. The following year was a massive jump forward for Lee in terms of both his appearances and form. He played a total of 49 games with the Warriors, starting in 36 of those contests. Overall, Damion Lee has played 216 games for the Warriors, 53 of those games coming as a starter.
The Golden State Dynasty
After Lee signed with the Warriors, they won consecutive championships in 2018 and 2019. There then followed a three-year playoff drought as the team endured a difficult period on and off the court. However, that all changed during the 2022 season.
During the regular season for the Warriors in 2021-22, Lee had a scoring average of 7.2 points per game and a rebounding average of 3.2 boards per game. Throughout the course of the regular season, the Warriors used Lee in their rotation nearly every game.
Despite this good form, Lee saw little action in the Finals, playing a total of seven minutes across all four games.
Damion Lee: NBA champion in 2022
Lee was a member of the Warriors team that triumphed in the NBA finals and captured the 2022 title.
The most notable aspect of his time at the Warriors is the amount of enthusiasm and hard work that he has contributed to the team, even when he is not part of the first-choice playing team.
The Golden State Warriors competed with the Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven series for the 2022 championship and emerged victorious. After beating the Boston Celtics in Game Six by a score of 103–90, they have been crowned NBA champions. That Game Six victory by the Warriors rounded off a three-game winning streak that allowed them to win the series with a game to spare.
Lee’s teammate Steph Curry won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player title for the first time in his career. Curry finished the series with 34 points.
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Guard-Forward Damion Lee feats in the NBA finals game against the Celtics
The recent victory of the Golden State Warriors over the Celtics has helped to cement the Warrior’s legacy as one of the greatest teams of the modern era. It now means that the Golden State Warriors have won a remarkable four NBA titles in the past eight years.
This incredible accomplishment would not have been possible without the contributions of team players such as Lee, who, despite not being a regular starter, more than played his part in the team’s success.
Damion Lee Stats in the 2021/22 Season
Guard-Forward Damion Lee has the following statistics for the 2021–2022 regular season campaign:
- 63 games played
- 7.4 points per game average
- 44.1 field percentage
- 3.2 total rebounds
- 1 assist
- 52.3 field goal percentage
- 10.9 player effective ratings
- 88.0 free throw percentage
- 33.7 3-point field goal percentage
- 2.7 win shares
- 33.7 3-point field goal percentage.
In his 16 playoff games, he played 7.8 minutes per game and averaged two points and 1.6 rebounds.
Damion Lee’s Career Resume
Lee’s professional resume reads as follows:
- Maine Red Claws: 2016 and 2017
- Santa Cruz Warriors: 2017 and 2018
- Atlanta Hawks: 2018
- Santa Cruz Warriors: 2018 to 2020
- Golden State Warriors: 2018 to 2022
- Phoenix Suns 2022 – date.
Guard-Forward Damion Lee’s future plans
Following the end of the season, Lee’s contract with the Warriors ended, and he became a free agent. Subsequently, the Phoenix Suns and Damion Lee reached an agreement on a one-year deal. So, we should be expecting him to put his experience to use for the Sun’s team in the next NBA campaign and look to successfully continue his NBA career.
As well as continuing his NBA career, Lee intends to use his leisure time by engaging in activities such as playing video games and studying the piano. He is also trying to learn about the stock market and the technological world.
What is next for the Golden State Warriors?
Whilst Lee has departed, the Warriors have retained the bulk of their title-winning squad. They now have one of the oldest squads in the league. But despite this older core group, many NBA experts believe that Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and co have at least one more attempt at winning an NBA championship in them.
A big advantage the Warriors have is that a large number of their players are comfortable within the team and buy into the team’s strong ethos. This bodes well for the Golden State Warrior’s short-term future and their prospects of making it five titles in nine seasons.
Currently, the available odds for next season show that the Warriors are still the short-priced favorites to win the 2023 championship.
What can we expect from Lee in 2023?
Though he is increasing in age, Damion Lee will still make an impact on the game come 2023. Notwithstanding, he will be open to engaging in other personal activities, as earlier mentioned.
In Conclusion
With their recent victory, the Golden State Warriors have certainly added another feather to their cap. This feat was due to exceptional team performance, albeit one that Lee only played a minor part in. Whilst that victory represents the end of an era for both the Warriors and Lee, the future looks bright for both parties. The Warriors will retain a large chunk of their title-winning squad, whilst Lee can flourish in his new surroundings in Phoenix.
