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Damian Lillard Issues Statement About 'Unfortunate' Blood Clot News
The Milwaukee Bucks could be without Damian Lillard for an extended period of time. The team announced on Tuesday night that Lillard had sustained a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and would be out indefinitely.
Lillard released a statement to Chris Haynes calling the situation "unfortunate" and that he would take whatever precautions were necessary so that he would be there for his family.
Damian Lillard to me on his diagnosis:“It’s unfortunate that something outside of my control would come up. Along with the Bucks’ medical staff, our priorities are to protect my health and safety. As much as I love basketball, I need to be there for my kids and my family. I’m…
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 26, 2025
“It’s unfortunate that something outside of my control would come up," Lillard told Haynes. "Along with the Bucks’ medical staff, our priorities are to protect my health and safety. As much as I love basketball, I need to be there for my kids and my family. I’m grateful the Bucks acted quickly on this. They’ve been supportive and proactive throughout this process. I look forward to moving past this and continuing my career.”
Lillard, a nine-time All-Star who played the first 11 seasons of his NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers, was traded to the Bucks during the 2023 offseason. Lillard missed two games during the Bucks 4-2 first round loss to the Indiana Pacers during last season's playoffs.
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Stephen Douglas is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in media since 2008 and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Douglas spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and previously wrote for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.