Mar 16, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) warms up before game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Bucks' Damian Lillard Breaks Silence on Blood Clot Diagnosis

Originally posted on Milwaukee Bucks on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Mar 26, 2025 12:42 PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks received some devastating news on Tuesday night. They got the news that Damian Lillard will miss the rest of the season due to deep vein thrombosis.

The blood clots will take Lillard out for an indefinite period, but it will, in all likelihood, take him out for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. He will hopefully be back healthy for next year.

It's a shocking diagnosis that completely changes the dynamic of what the Bucks' ceiling is for this season. They thought they had a shot to win the title this year.

Now that Lillard is out, the Bucks have a massive hill to climb. This puts even more pressure on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyle Kuzma to carry the team.

Lillard spoke out for the first time since this shocking news came out. As expected, he's very bummed out that he has this issue.

Damian Lillard to me on his diagnosis:“It’s unfortunate that something outside of my control would come up. Along with the Bucks’ medical staff, our priorities are to protect my health and safety. As much as I love basketball, I need to be there for my kids and my family. I’m…
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 26, 2025

"It’s unfortunate that something outside of my control would come up. Along with the Bucks’ medical staff, our priorities are to protect my health and safety. As much as I love basketball, I need to be there for my kids and my family. I’m grateful the Bucks acted quickly on this. They’ve been supportive and proactive throughout this process. I look forward to moving past this and continuing my career," Lillard stated.

Lillard understands that this is a serious medical condition that needs to be dealt with in a timely manner. This is something that goes beyond basketball, and he mentioned that in his statement.

The Bucks will have to figure out how to replace Lillard's production, but that won't be easy. They are currently in a big fight for seeding, which gets even tougher without Lillard.

Right now, the Bucks are tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with the Pistons. They are a full two games behind the Pacers for the fourth spot, which would give them home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

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Milwaukee is going to get Bobby Portis back at the end of the season, which will help a little bit. His scoring will help the Bucks survive not having Lillard, but this is a pretty devastating piece of news.

On the bright side, if Antetokounmpo can somehow lead the Bucks to a title this year, that would be a massive boost to his legacy.

So far this year, Lillard is averaging 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. He is also shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three.

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This article first appeared on Milwaukee Bucks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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