When Milwaukee Bucks All-Star point guard Damian Lillard with deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in his calf, many wondered if he would ever be able to play basketball again, much less make it back onto the court for the team’s NBA Playoffs run. After all, blood clots can be fatal if not treated properly, and several professional athletes have seen their careers end because of them.
Miraculously, Lillard defied the odds and, just four weeks after being diagnosed, is ramping up his conditioning so that he can return for the Bucks as they begin the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. While he will be unavailable for Game One on Saturday, there is a chance that he could play later in the series.
Milwaukee Bucks Point Guard Damian Lillard Reveals His Cousin Died as the Result of a Blood Clot
While Lillard is not going to play in Game One because he needs to ramp up to game conditioning, he is practicing with the team. After Bucks practice on Friday, Lillard opened up about his diagnosis and recovery, specifically on the mental toll it took on him.
When he first learned that he had a blood clot, Lillard was incredibly nervous because his cousin died of a pulmonary embolism that was result of a blood clot in his calf.
“One of my closest cousins, in 2021, had a blood clot in his calf. Didn’t know. You know, during COVID they couldn’t get him in because everything was on Zoom. And he ended up having a pulmonary embolism and dying. So, obviously that was the first thing that [came to my] mind.
“The toughest part throughout this entire process was that first couple of days when I really started to feel it. It was not obvious that it was a blood clot, but once I found out that’s what it was, well then I knew what it was and why it was so sore and swollen.
“But I’d say, like, after three to five days I felt normal. I felt like I could physically do anything that I could do before. But the fact was that I still had a blood clot in my leg.”
Fortunately, the Bucks and Lillard were able to catch his blood clot early before it got bigger or spread. Now, as they enter the NBA Playoffs, they are about to get their second-best player back.
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