Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard underwent successful surgery on Friday to repair a torn left Achilles tendon, the team announced. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, with consultation from Bucks orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Carole Vetter. Lillard suffered the injury during the first quarter of Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs vs. Indiana on April 27.
Of course, Dame had returned in Game 2 of that series with Indiana very shortly after being cleared of the deep vain thrombosis in his calf, which had sidelined him for over a month. That lack of preparation was evident in the three games he played before suffering a torn Achilles. Lillard averaged 7.0 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.7 rebounds on 22% shooting from the field and 18% from three.
Nonetheless, Dame wanting to be out there showed Bucks fans how much he cared for the team and wanted to help achieve the ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship. Unfortunately, things went about as badly as they could have gone. For those interested in recovery timetables, injury guru Jeff Stotts had some helpful reporting, which I have included below:
The nine-time All-Star’s injury—and the time it takes to recover from it—will undoubtedly impact the Bucks front office’s plans moving forward.
Get well soon, Dame.