Damian Lillard appears to be making some rather remarkable progress from his blood-clotting issue.
Shams Charania of ESPN shared a big update on Wednesday about the Milwaukee Bucks star Lillard. While he was appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Charania reported that Lillard’s blood clot is diminishing and that the nine-time All-Star is hopeful to be cleared for full contact within the next week or week-and-a-half.
Additionally, Charania noted that Lillard’s treatment began early, even before he received a formal diagnosis, and that doctors are encouraged by Lillard’s progress. Here is the full video.
The news surfaced just over a week ago that Lillard, 34, had been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. Lillard was said at the time to be on blood thinners, which had managed to stabilize the clot.
Blood clots are obviously a concerning and potentially career-threatening issue, so many were expecting Lillard to possibly be out for the rest of the season when the news first emerged. But somewhat improbably, Charania’s report makes it sound like Lillard might just be back in the lineup for Milwaukee at some point in the postseason.
The Bucks, who end the regular season in just over one week on Apr. 13, are currently No. 6 in the East at 41-34. Lillard last played on March 18, and Milwaukee has gone just 3-4 since then. While Lillard does have his longer-term future to think about, especially given the troubling history of blood-clotting issues in the NBA, he may be close to getting the green light from doctors to return to the court.
