Giving Back to the Game: Damien Wilkins is Grooming Next Generation of Hoopers Through Overtime Elite
Currently the General Manager of Overtime Elite, former NBA wing Damien Wilkins is leading the charge on what has become one of the most fascinating concepts in the world of basketball. He’s setting young athletes up with the tools they need to achieve their dreams.
Growing up, Wilkins was part of a family with a rich basketball history. The son of Gerald Wilkins and nephew of Dominique Wilkins, he was set up to be the next in line to play in the NBA. During his upbringing, this provided Wilkins the unique opportunity to grow up around the game watching both of these family members who had long NBA careers.
Wilkins himself was considered a top-10 recruit in the high school class of 1999. He went on to play two seasons at NC State before declaring for the 2001 NBA Draft. He ultimately withdrew and transferred to Georgia, where he played two seasons after a redshirt year and then went undrafted in the 2004 NBA Draft.
He started and spent most of his career in Seattle with the SuperSonics and was even part of the team that relocated to Oklahoma City when the franchise became the Thunder. When it was all said and done, Wilkins played at the NBA level for 10 seasons, notching over 500 games played with 150 starts.
After his playing days had come to an end, Wilkins really had a passion for continuing to stay around the game and help others.
In fact, Wilkins ultimately decided to join OTE as an opportunity to give back to the game. In an interview with Draft Digest, he reminisced back to being a rookie in the NBA and the impact Ray Allen made on him. Wilkins remembers asking Allen early on why he was so invested in him personally and willing to put the time into mentoring him. Allen told Wilkins that when he was a rookie, he had veterans that answered his questions and lifted him up, so it was his way of giving back. He also told Wilkins he needed to do the same one day, giving back to the next in line. That’s what he is now doing at OTE, expanding his impact even outside of the mentorship Wilkins provided to other players during his NBA career.
“My interest came from just wanting to be a part of the growth and development of these guys,” said Wilkins. “That was the biggest thing. How can I give back to the game? I’ve been in these guys' shoes. I'm not here for anything else but to help you and give you a perspective of where you really want to go. I’ve been there.”
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Even before joining OTE, Wilkins was already beginning to give back to the game. He was working for the National Basketball Players Association, serving as a regional representative for three years, where he supported players with career development resources off the court. With that in mind, it was very different helping NBA players than it would be supporting young athletes.
“Ironically, working with the Players Association really pushed me to work here. The work we did there was so difficult — it's hard to reach a guy who has $20 million in the bank, like I'm calling him telling him about career development programs and summer programs that NBA is putting on,” Wilkins went on to say.
The athletes that are part of Overtime Elite are at an extremely pivotal point in their lives. What happens in their mid to late teens could ultimately dictate the longevity of their basketball career overall. As such, having a GM like Wilkins is so important, given he has actually walked in these athletes’ shoes. It’s all about perspective and really ensuring each player has realistic expectations when navigating situations.
“The first thing is them understanding what reality is,” Wilkins told Draft Digest. “Then the other thing is helping them understand who they are in this space of major Division I college or professional basketball. There's a spotlight on you. And it only gets brighter as you level up in competition with leagues.”
To Wilkins, it’s important for these players to dream, but also understand the facts. He talked about how there’s only a handful of really special superstars in the league, while everyone else plays more of a role as a secondary or tertiary option. He thinks it’s extremely important for these players to understand that as they go through their development. Even on their current teams at Overtime Elite, playing the right role and really figuring out how to help a team win is extremely important. The majority of players that make it to the NBA and stick around beyond their rookie contracts aren’t stars. But they’re equally as important to a team and can have very long, lucrative careers.
Furthermore, another one of the foundational things he looks to help the athletes at OTE understand is the responsibility they carry and who they represent as they move up the ranks in basketball. As an athlete’s journey continues, their circle gets bigger. They go from just representing their family, to their hometown, to a college fanbase, to a worldwide professional following. Even outside of the individual humans that are associated with the player, the modern game also has sponsorships, NIL and many other brands and companies that are being represented by these players.
What this means is that athletes have to be aware of not only what they’re doing on the court, but also off. In the social media era, there’s cameras everywhere and one mistake can really put a career or opportunity in jeopardy.
“I think what we have to help them constantly understand is — especially when once you get here — it's no longer about you, and just you. Your decision making has to be on and off the court,” said Wilkins.
Even at Overtime Elite, the players are representing more than just the program they’re with. They are also representing Adidas, Amazon and every other partner of OTE.
“So I tell these guys all the time to remember who they’re representing when they’re outside of these grounds on campus,” Wilkins would go on to say.
Wilkins is making a tremendous impact on each and every player that walks through the doors at Overtime Elite in Atlanta. The on-court benefit of being part of OTE speaks for itself, but there’s so much more that these athletes are learning. Having someone like Wilkins operating as GM is extremely valuable since he’s actually gone through what these players are currently. He’s in a group text with all of the players and is extremely involved in what goes on day-to-day.
Just like Damien Wilkins promised Ray Allen during his rookie season, he’s giving back to the game.
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