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Milwaukee Bucks superstar guard Damian Lillard took to his personal Instagram account to share a brief but heartfelt message with his fans.
More NBA news: Damian Lillard's Playoff Run Ends as Bucks Star Suffers Devastating Torn Achilles
Lillard opened up about his injury and offered a few words on his current situation.
"Appreciate all the prayers and well wishes. This one really hurt... HIS way not MY way."
"To Be Continued," said Lillard.
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The Bucks are down 3-1 in their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers. They will try to keep their season alive on Tuesday when they hit the road for Game 5 of the series.
A typical Achilles injury takes about 8-12 months to come back from. Even then, it takes time to get back into form, and considering Lillard is an older player, it's fair to question whether or not he could be the player we've all become accustomed to witnessing.
More NBA Playoff news: Cavaliers All-Star in Serious Danger of Missing Game 4
The nine-time All-Star will turn 35 in July. This season was quite successful before suffering from a blood clot issue in his right calf in mid-March. In the regular season, Lillard averaged 24.9 points per game, roughly seven assists on 44 percent shooting from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc, both percentages career bests.
As for this series, Lillard was never able to find his groove, averaging a postseason low 7.0 points per game, 2.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 0.7 steals while shooting 22.2 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three.
The likelihood of Lillard playing in the 2025-26 season is unlikely. Whether he is on the court or not, he is owed $54.1 million next season. The season after next, he has a player option that is at $58 million. It is fair to say that he will opt into that contract before he is a free agent prior to the 2027-28 season, in which he will be 37 years old.
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For more NBA news and rumors, stay tuned to Newsweek Sports.
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About the writer
Ricardo Sandoval is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles, CA. His focus is sports content. Ricardo has been with Newsweek since 2024 and also writes ... Read more