On Sunday, April 27th, the Bucks and Pacer faced off in Game 4 of the first round series. Midway through the first quarter, All-Star PG Damien Lillard felt a pop on his feet.
The 34-year-old fell to the ground quickly and did not return to the game. Unfortunately, Lillard tore Achilles with a contactless injury. Due to Achilles’ tears, Lillard could miss the entire 2025-26 season. What recovery process will Damien Lillard go through to play basketball back on the court?
Damien Lillard is in a difficult fight after tore Achilles in late April
Damian Lillard: I don’t go out like this https://t.co/xpv7htyn0h
-realgm (@Realgm) April 30, 2025
First, Damian Lillard needs surgery to repair a torn Achilles. The injury happened at the worst time for Lillard. The slower season will affect Lillard’s 2025-26 campaign. After his surgery, Lillard goes through a slow recovery process to regain the mobility he needs to play in the NBA. Certain athletes want to hold small casts or boots on their feet to ensure that their Achilles tendon heals properly.
The key is not to overstretch the tendon while it heals. Elasticity is an important function of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon functions like a rubber band until it stops functioning. That’s what happened to Damien Lillard last weekend. Usually, it is at least 10 months’ recovery period that players will return from Achilles’ tears. The 10 months from today will be March 1st, 2026. Lillard missed almost the whole of 2025-26.
It’s not an impossible task to return from Achilles’ tears. Over the past 15 years, several top-level NBA athletes have returned from this devastating injury. Perhaps the most famous is Kobe Bryant of the Lakers. At age 34 in the 2013 playoffs, he tore Achilles and underwent surgery in late April. Bryant returned that April, but not entirely himself. He lacked explosiveness. His recovery time is considered faster than normal Achilles’ tears. We will see how this injury will affect Damian Lillard’s progress.