Jamal CollierMar 25, 2025, 08:38 pm and
- Jamal Collier is an NBA reporter at ESPN. Collier covers the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and the Midwest region of the NBA, including stories such as Minnesota’s iconic jersey swap between Anthony Edwards and Justin Jefferson. He has been at ESPN since Sept. 2021 and previously covered the Bulls for the Chicago Tribune. You can reach out to Jamal on Twitter @JamalCollier or via email Jamal.Collier@espn.com.
Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, also known as a blood clot, in his right calf that will sideline him indefinitely, the team announced Tuesday.
Lillard, 34, is on a blood-thinning medication, which has stabilized the clot, according to the team. He will continue to undergo regular testing.
“Damian’s health is our No. 1 priority,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “We will support him as he moves through this weekly process of strict criteria to ensure that it is safe for him to return to play. Doctors have indicated that his situation is very unlikely to occur again. We are thankful that this was identified and medicated quickly, which helps with the recovery.”
The San Antonio Spurs shut down star big Victor Wembanyama in February after he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
Lillard had sat out Milwaukee’s past three games with what was called a calf strain at the time, but coach Doc Rivers indicated before Monday’s game that Lillard was not improving. He was also sidelined for 10 days in December because of an injury to the same calf.
The injury deals a setback to the Bucks as they battle for their spot in the standings in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee has lost three of its past five games and six of 10, dropping it to No. 5 in the East and only a half-game ahead of the Detroit Pistons. The Bucks are 8-5 this season when Lillard sits, but their scoring drops significantly — 108.5 points per game compared to the (115.7) when he plays.
The Bucks have 11 games left in the regular season.
Lillard was selected to his ninth All-Star Game this season and is averaging 24.9 points and 7.1 assists. In his second season playing alongside superstar Giannis Antetokounmpothe duo is averaging 55.1 points, the highest-scoring combination in the league, according to ESPN Research.
It’s the second consecutive season the Bucks are dealing with a major injury as the playoffs near. Last season, Antetokounmpo sat out their first-round series loss to the Indiana Pacers because of a calf injury, and Lillard played only four of the six games.
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