Damian Lillard hasn’t logged a single minute of game action this season. And yet, when All-Star Weekend tips off, he’ll be right in the thick of it-back in a Trail Blazers jersey, no less.
Let’s rewind for a second. Lillard suffered a season-ending Achilles injury during last year’s postseason while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
It’s the kind of injury that can derail a career-demanding a grueling recovery that typically stretches close to a full year. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Dame over the years, it’s that he doesn’t follow the script.
Now back with the Portland Trail Blazers after signing with the team in the offseason, Lillard is still working his way back from that Achilles tear. He hasn’t suited up for a single regular-season game. But that’s not stopping him from stepping onto the All-Star stage.
Lillard is set to compete in this year’s Three-Point Contest-an event he’s made his own in recent years. And while it’s rare to see a player participate in All-Star Weekend without any in-season action, it speaks volumes about the respect he commands and the legacy he’s built as one of the league’s premier sharpshooters.
He’ll be lining up alongside some serious firepower: Devin Booker, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, Bobby Portis, Norman Powell, and rising star Kon Knueppel. That’s a stacked field, but Lillard’s résumé speaks for itself.
If he manages to take home the crown, it won’t just be a feel-good moment-it’ll be historic. A win would make him just the third player ever to win the Three-Point Contest three times, joining the legendary Larry Bird and Craig Hodges in that elite club.
So while he may not be lacing up for the regular season just yet, Damian Lillard is still finding ways to remind us who he is: a competitor, a showman, and one of the most respected shooters the game has ever seen.