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Damian Lillard Accepts Boxing Fight From Kyle Kuzma Barring Achilles Recovery

Originally posted on The SportsRush | By Reese Patanjo | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 10:43 PM ET

When Damian Lillard tore his Achilles in the first round of the playoffs, it was a devastating blow to the Bucks franchise. They promptly lost the next two games and saw their season come to an end. But now, a month later in recovery, Lillard is looking to literally land some devastating blows to his teammate in a possible boxing match.

Boxing has always been a fixture in Lillard’s life. He even added it to his training regimen as a way to stay in shape. It’s something that he says he loves to do. “I do it out of love of the sport and also just to know that I can properly defend myself if it comes down to it,” Lillard once shared on The Dan Patrick Show.

That’s why, when Kyle Kuzma posted on his Instagram story that he’s been boxing and called out Lillard to a fight, Dame felt the need to stand his ground. “Ding ding mf @damianlillard you next,” Kuzma wrote.

“When I’m healthy… I’m stopping you in the 5th… long torso = BHop vs De La Hoya,” Lillard responded.

The fight Dame referenced is none other than the famous 2004 bout between Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya. A key moment of the fight was when Hopkins landed a shot to De La Hoya’s liver that sent him sprawling to the canvas. It was one of the most famous moments in boxing history.

Dame on IG pic.twitter.com/2O7rqxN0FK

— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) June 2, 2025

So, it seems as though Dame is adopting some unconventional training methods on his way back from injury. Following a grueling rehab process, he has a celebrity fight on his hands with Kuzma.

It might feel nice to get some anger out on Kuz for not showing up for the Bucks in the playoffs, too. The forward has become a fixture in Milwaukee after being the key part of the Khris Middleton trade. In five games against the Pacers, he averaged just 5.8 points in 20 minutes per game.

Lillard doesn’t have the same height as Kuzma, but he might have better technique. It would be interesting to see who would win. But Dame is pretty confident in himself. He even once admitted that he thinks he could’ve been a pretty good boxer if he pursued it.

“I think I would have been a pretty good boxer… I’m not going to go barking up a tree of somebody that, considering being a professional fighter,” Lillard said.

At the end of the day, though, this seems like just fun and games between two teammates. As mentioned, Lillard has bigger things to worry about. At 34, an Achilles tear is no joke. He needs to focus on rehabbing and getting back to the level he was at before the injury. If he can’t, it could spell an early end to his career.

But the teammates might spar once or twice behind closed doors. After all, they did talk some serious trash to one another. And Lillard is from Oakland. He’s about as tough as a person can get.

This article first appeared on The SportsRush and was syndicated with permission.

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