Damian Lillard's Injury Status After Winning 3-Point Contest

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Feb 14, 2026 9:07 PM ET

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has not played this season as he continues to recover from the Achilles injury he sustained during the 2024-25 playoffs. However, he made a shocking return to the court on Saturday to participate in the NBA 3-Point Contest.

Lillard scored 27 points in the first round to move on to the final against Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker and Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel, who had 30 and 27 points, respectively.

The Blazers guard dominated the final round, though, scoring 29 points to reclaim the 3-Point title for the third time in his career. He joined NBA legends Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only three-time winners of the competition, and he's the first one to accomplish the feat in non-consecutive years.

Before his 2026 victory, Lillard won the 3-Point Contest in 2023 and 2024. Bird won the contest from 1986 to 1988, while Hodges dominated it from 1990 to 1992.

After the win, Lillard was asked about his injury 10 months since he last played an NBA game. He tore his Achilles tendon on April 27, 2025 and underwent surgery just a few days later on May 2.

According to Lillard, he's "making sure that he’s doing honest testing" and "being patient with it," per NBA reporter Mark Medina. He also provided an update on where he's at in his recovery.

"I'm at the stage where I'm testing it," Lillard stated.

Lillard is not expected to return this NBA season despite participating in the 3-Point Contest. Based on his performance in the competition, though, it's clear that he has made significant progress when it comes to getting back to full health.

The 35-year-old Lillard also delivered a powerful message on his injury following the win, highlighting that his participation and victory signify strength and resilience amid adversity.

"I wouldn't say I'm representing the Achilles nation or nothing like that," Lillard stated.
"I do think I represent strength. We are athletes so when we go through injury people act like it's the end of the world because people are used to us being like lifted up and everything being about us but people go through way worse. For me it was more about representing strength. I didn't choose to be weak about it."

Despite Lillard's absence, though, the Blazers are competing for a playoff spot with All-Star forward Deni Avdija leading the way. Portland is 27-29 on the season at the All-Star break. Sure enough, Portland will be an interesting team to watch once Lillard returns.

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

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