Damian Lillard Undergoes Surgery on Achilles Injury After Bucks' NBA Playoff Loss

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard underwent surgery on Friday to repair his torn left Achilles tendon, per ESPN.

Lillard suffered the injury during Milwaukee's Game 4 loss against the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache.

Lillard posted the following message on social media Friday:

One of the concerns going forward is how Lillard will recover from the procedure and an injury that can cause players to lose a step once they return. That is compounded by the fact that Lillard is already 34 years old, though he sounds intent on returning to an elite level.

"He said two things, which I love," Doc Rivers told reporters regarding conversations he's had since suffering the injury. "The first one, he just said, 'I can't believe I'm here.' Then, the second one is, 'I'm not going out this way.' I can guarantee you he won't, and that's what I meant about his resolve."

It's been a challenging season for Lillard. In March, he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, costing him the final 14 games of the regular season. He made a remarkably fast recovery, however, and was cleared to resume basketball activities and cease taking blood-thinning medication in April, returning to the court for the Bucks by Game 2 of the series against the Pacers.

Sadly, his return didn't last long, and his torn Achilles now threatens to cost him the entire 2025-26 season.

Time will tell if he's able to make another quick recovery, though this injury is an entirely different scenario to the blood clot he had in his calf. Friday's surgery was the first step in that recovery process.