The Portland Trail Blazers will have Deni Avdija representing the team as an All-Star this season, but he will not be the only player on the team joining him in the festivities during the weekend. The 3-Point Contest participants were announced, and to the surprise of many, Damian Lillard will be competing, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.
“Damian Lillard, who is recovering from a torn Achilles, will participate in the 3-Point Contest in a week,” Siegel wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Lillard is no stranger to the 3-Point Contest, as he's participated in five of them. He won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, and he'll be looking to win his third one this time around.
Over his career, Lillard has been known as one of the better three-point shooters in the league and one of the best long-range shooters alongside Stephen Curry. There's no doubt that he's going to give it his all in this contest, and players may be more motivated to win since Lillard is in it now.
Lillard tore his Achilles tendon last season in the playoffs with the Milwaukee Bucks, and he's been recovering since then. During the offseason, the Bucks waived and stretched him, which led to his return to the Trail Blazers, where he started his NBA career is beloved by the city.
There's a good chance that Lillard will be back to full health next season for the Trail Blazers. As of now, they're doing what they can with what they have, and they're currently ninth in the Western Conference.
If they're able to compete in the Play-In, that would be a big step for where they've been over the past few seasons, as they've played well enough this year to do so.
