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Damian Lillard will compete in All-Star event despite his season-ending injury

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Feb 8, 2026 3:50 PM ET

Damian Lillard will not play this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles, but he will be able to make his second debut for the Portland Trail Blazers anyway.

The NBA announced Sunday that Lillard will take part in the Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, Ca. He has won the event twice before during his career.

THE 2X CHAMP IS BACK.

Dame will be competing in the 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend pic.twitter.com/TgMNSkG3p9
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) February 8, 2026

This is a highly unusual arrangement, to say the least. Lillard has not played this season, nor is he expected to after tearing his Achilles last April while still with the Milwaukee Bucks. The fact that he feels capable of taking part in the Three-Point Contest would certainly suggest that his rehab is going well, though.

Larry Bird and Craig Hodges are the only two players to win the contest three times in its history. Lillard would join them if he somehow manages to pull it off this year, having previously won in both 2023 and 2024.

Lillard shocked many by passing on contenders to return to Portland last summer. This isn’t quite as surprising as that, but it will certainly be unexpected to see him suit up for Portland for the first time since his return as part of an All-Star competition.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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