Damion Moore: An Artist on and off the Court

Damion Moore majors in Communications.

The major is fitting because of his loud and projected voice on the court. But he also loves to draw, choosing to communicate his thoughts through a few different mediums. He loves to take pictures, he loves to sketch, and he loves to paint. He just loves art in general.

He has always loved to create, taking inspiration from whatever thoughts pop into his head and quickly putting them down on paper.

"I mostly just draw up whatever comes into my head at the time, or I take some ideas from my teammates," Moore said. "I can sketch anything up in 30 minutes. It's good for my mind because it helps me get into that creative mindset."

Creating different forms of art has also served as a therapeutic activity outside of basketball, Moore said.

It especially served as a therapeutic activity when he first got to school at Temple in the summer of 2016, Moore said. Having spent significant amounts of time in Detroit and Jackson, Miss. growing up, Moore was far away from home in Philadelphia. He never felt very homesick, even when he first arrived (thanks to his art), but he struggled in a different way as a freshman.

"The only thing I first struggled with when I first got here was communicating," Moore stated. "I wasn't comfortable enough to really talk to anyone in my first month here, even my teammates. I went a whole month without talking to anybody."

When he first arrived, Moore was assigned to live with now-graduated forward Obi Enechionyia, who currently plays professional basketball in Spain. While living together, Enechionyia encouraged Moore to talk more and was able to bring him out of his shell around other teammates, Moore said, helping to build up his communication skills.

"He encouraged me to keep grinding during the summer and keep working hard, even when I wasn't talking," Moore said. "I still look up to him like a big brother because he helped me build my confidence."

Moore was also able to build confidence through his schoolwork within his major. Before entering his classes at Temple, he struggled with giving presentations and talking in front of his classmates.

"Giving presentations was my biggest fear because I used to stutter a bit," Moore explained. "Now, I can just go up, say what I have to say, and then be done. It's something I've learned a lot from."

He also learned how to speak and play with confidence from some of his basketball idols, Moore said. Growing up, he idolized Kobe Bryant, who was known for playing with a fierce and competitive attitude, known as the 'Mamba Mentality.'

"My older brother and I- we both watched basketball and grew up watching Lakers games," Moore said. "We both loved Kobe. We didn't have cable; the only games that really came on were the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons. The only reason I could stay up late when I was younger was to watch him play. It taught me to love the game and work hard."

Moore shares a very close bond with his brother and his mother. In fact, he took up playing basketball because of his brother and grew to love basketball because of the time he spent playing with his brother and watching games on TV. Moore and his mother, who currently lives in Detroit, communicate every day via phone.

"My big brother is my biggest fan," Moore stated. "He was really good and encouraged me to keep playing every day and keep playing my game."

"Especially after games, my family keeps me going," Moore said. "It doesn't matter if I had a good game, a bad game, or didn't even play. It doesn't matter, they want to talk to me and keep me updated. My mom sends me paragraph texts every day, telling me how much she loves me. She wants me to succeed, whether it's basketball or not. She just wants me to do what I love and give 100% at whatever I do."

Even after graduation, Moore hopes to give 100% playing basketball, whether that be in the United States or overseas, like former teammate Enechionyia.

"I wouldn't mind playing more basketball overseas," Moore said. "My family knows that I need to make sacrifices for myself. It's only going to make me better as a person and my family understands that."

After basketball ends, whenever that may be, Moore would like to pursue a career related to art, whether that be as an interior designer or in architecture. He would like to be able to mix his love for art with his Communications background.

"I want to play as much basketball as I can," Moore said. "But beyond basketball, though, I want to be the best man I can be and give back to the community. I want to do every little thing that can make a difference in someone else's life, not just my own."

Temple University Athletics

Damion Moore: An Artist on and off the Court

Players Mentioned

Obi Enechionyia

Damion Moore

Related Videos