Lillard met with the media on Friday at his third annual Formula Zero Elite Camp for high school boys and college basketball prospects at PHHacility in Phoenix. The Milwaukee Bucks All-Star, who previously played with the Portland Trail Blazers, praised Booker, the Phoenix Suns All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, for his performance with Team USA at the Paris Olympics.

Lillard said the camp’s mentorship program provides the 32 participants with essential tools to build their character in life and their talent on the court, citing Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Phoenix Suns stars Kevin Durant and Booker, who led Team USA to its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal, as prime examples.

“The character of Team USA has been the most evident this year. You see the veterans. You see Steph (Curry), you see LeBron (James), you see KD (Durant), even Book. He’s been in the league for 10 years now,” Lillard said. “You see guys like that when they’re in the thick of it, that’s the character of our game for the last 10, 15 years, and they’ve stuck it out.”

“If you look at the direction the game is going, these guys probably won’t be there at the next Olympics and the responsibility will be left to our younger generation of players.”

Lillard explained Booker’s humility as a supporting player on one of the USA’s best teams since the 1992 Dream Team, despite being one of the NBA’s leading scorers (averaging 24.3 points per game), which might also help his campers realize the importance of leaving their egos at the door.

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Booker averaged 11.7 points per game, making him the fifth-leading scorer on the U.S. team. He added 3.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds, and shot 56.8% from the field and 54.5% from three-point range in his six appearances.

“Not everyone can be a star. Not everyone can have the ball. Not everyone can score points. Someone has to be willing to play a role and just contribute to the ultimate goal,” Lillard said.

“When I watched the games, it was very obvious to me that he approached it with that mindset. I’m going to catch the guys, I’m going to go for the ball, I’m going to make free throws, I’m going to fight for the team. I think it takes a special kind of person to take on that role when there are so many outside voices and people talking about every little thing, and he definitely did that.”

Lillard and the four-time All-Star Booker won their first gold medal together at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Lillard was also instrumental in Booker’s first All-Star appearance in Chicago in 2020, when he vouched for Booker to be his injured replacement.

“When Dame got injured (before) the All-Star Game, he said, ‘You have to use Book.’ Dame is unique as a professional because he admires and appreciates the achievements of others, even when it is not his own success,” said Phil Beckner, director of the Formula Zero Elite Camp.

“So when he’s praising Devin Booker to you (the media), he’s doing the same thing to these kids and encouraging them, like, ‘Hey, I’m not the only one you have to follow. There are a lot of people out there doing it right that you can learn from and benefit from.'”