Phoenix – Milwaukee Bucks Guard Damien Lillard has been diagnosed with deep venous thrombosis (thrombosis) in his right calf, the team announced in a statement Tuesday.
The team said Lillard is taking blood thinning medications and will continue to be tested regularly. Lillard is expected to go out indefinitely, but league sources told Athletic there is a lot of optimism that he will return this season.
“Damien’s health is our number one priority,” Bucks general manager John Holst said in a statement. “We will assist him as he goes through this weekly strict standards process to ensure he is safe to return to play, and the doctors have shown that his situation is unlikely to happen again.
“It’s a shame there’s something other than my control,” Lillard said through a spokesman. “Along with the medical staff at Bucks, our priority is to protect my health and safety. Just like I love basketball, I need to be there for my kids and my family. I’m grateful that the Bucks acted quickly on this. They were supportive and active throughout the process.
Ninety inning All-Star Lillard missed the final three games with a right calf pain, but further testing revealed a deep venous thrombosis.
Concerns about the nature of Lillard’s injuries escalated Thursday, according to league sources that are close to the situation. He missed his first game with the Lakers in Los Angeles that night and continued to experience discomfort and pain beyond the typical calf tension. Sources said Lillard had experienced similar symptoms in the past and wanted to clarify the cause.
From there the rigorous discovery process began, and Lillard eventually visited five top American hematologists (including Mayo Clinic in Phoenix on Tuesday) or via Zoom. Each expert received an MRI and sonogram as part of the process. Lillard began taking blood thinner on Friday, sources added that there are indications that the treatment is working well.
With 58 games, Lillard averaged 24.9 points per game (15th in the NBA) and 7.1 assists (13th in the NBA) this season. Lillard also adds 4.7 rebounds per game, finishing second in the Bucks in total points and first in total assists. His numbers put him in the conversation for all NBA considerations.
The discovery is a blow to the Bucks who had locked in postseason chances into Lillard and two NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo partnerships. Throughout the season, Bucks coach Doc Rivers defended the two-man game between Lillard and Antetokounmpo, highlighting the importance of bringing both superstars to health throughout the regular season, even if it meant missing the game due to injury.
At the trade deadline, Holst decided to move a group of players outside the Rivers rotation of Fris Middleton and Kyle Kuzma, Kevin Porter Jr. and Jericho Sims, explaining that a move was made to maximize the Bucks superstar duo.
“It was, ‘How can I make the top two my best?’ and ‘How does everyone else play their role around them?’, explains Horst following the trade. “Dame and Giannis should be able to be their best selves. That’s the best chance they can really win.”
Now, without Lillard, the Bucks (40-31) are facing steep odds heading into the postseason, dropping out of the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference in the remaining 11 regular season games. With Middleton leaving and Lillard on the sidelines, Antetocomo becomes the only All-Star on the roster to position the Bucks for a postseason success.
Lillard’s thrombotic diagnosis has continued his horrific injury that has limited the Bucks’ ability to chase postseason glory since ending the franchise’s 50-year championship drought by winning the 2021 NBA title.
As the Bucks tried to repeat themselves as NBA champions in the spring of 2022, Middleton lost his footing in Game 2 of the Bucks’ first round series against the Chicago Bulls. He suffered from a left MCL sprain, locking him out of the second round series against the Boston Celtics, eventually defeating the Bucks in seven games.
In 2023, Miami Heat Forward Kevin Love slid under the Anteto Compo to pull out a charge in the first quarter of Game 1 of the Bucks’ first round series. He kicked out most of the series as the waist Contues Anteto Compo suffered during play, and the Bucks lost the heat in five games.
In the 79th match of the Bucks’ 2023-24 campaign, Antetokounmpo struggled with left Soleus (calf) tension against the Celtics. The injury forced him to miss the rest of the regular season and the Bucks’ first round series against the Indiana Pacers. Lillard also suffered from the injury of Achilles, who suffered from his health, limiting him throughout the series and forced him to miss games 4 and 5.
With Lillard coming out indefinitely, the Bucks and Antetocomo are forced to shorthand to position themselves for the postseason, then attempting to make a deep playoff run.
(Photo: Stacey Libya/Getty Images)
