Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers is hurting for his guard, Damian Lillard. Lillard suffered a devastating Achilles injury, that ended his season. Rivers says that Lillard shared some messages with him and their team.
“He said two things, which I love,” Rivers said, per the Associated Press. “The first one, he just said ‘I can’t believe I’m here.’ Then the second one is ‘I’m not going out this way.’ I can guarantee you he won’t, and that’s what I meant about his resolve.”
Lillard's injury was bad enough for Bucks fans to take, but it gets even worse. Milwaukee's star guard had been sidelined for weeks already with blood clots, and he had just been able to return to the lineup.
Rivers says Lillard refuses to be negative about all these setbacks.
“It’s amazing,” Rivers said. “He’s already talking about his return and being better and being ready. We had a long talk about that today as well.”
The season is over for Milwaukee, after the team lost a playoff series to the Indiana Pacers. Indiana won the pivotal Game 5 on Tuesday, 119-118 in overtime.
Damian Lillard is determined to keep playing for the Bucks
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Lillard is 34 years old and has spoken publicly he doesn't want to retire. The Bucks seemed like a different team when he wasn't on the floor.
This season, the Bucks star averaged 24.9 points per game. He also dished out 7.1 assists per contest. Those numbers were good enough for 10th in the NBA in each respective category, per the outlet.
Lillard got hurt in Game 4 of the Pacers series. In the first quarter of the game, he was tipping the ball to a teammate when he had to stop and grab his leg. It was a non-contact injury.
The Bucks and their fans hope Lillard can make a swift comeback. The point guard has put together an incredible career in the NBA, and done very well in a short time in Milwaukee. He has been an All-Star every season he has played for the Bucks.
The Bucks can now only watch as the NBA Playoffs continue.