On Sunday, April 27, the Bucks and Pacers faced off in Game 4 of their first-round series. Midway through the first quarter, all-star PG Damian Lillard felt a pop in his leg.
The 34-year-old immediately fell to the ground and did not return to the game. Unfortunately, Lillard tore his Achilles on a non-contact injury. There’s a chance Lillard misses the entire 2025-26 season due to the Achilles tear. What recovery process will Damian Lillard go through to get back on the court and playing basketball?
Damian Lillard has an uphill battle after tearing his Achilles in late April
Damian Lillard: I’m Not Going Out This Way
— RealGM (@RealGM) April 30, 2025
First up, Damian Lillard needs surgery to repair his torn Achilles. This injury happened at the worst possible time for Lillard. With it being so late in the season, Lillard’s 2025-26 campaign will be affected. After his surgery, Lillard will have a slow recovery process to regain the mobility he needs to play in the NBA. Certain athletes like to keep a small cast or boot on their foot to ensure the Achilles tendon heals properly.
It’s key to not overstretch the tendon while it’s healing. Elasticity is the key function of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon works like a rubber band until it becomes non-functional. That’s what happened to Damian Lillard last weekend. Typically, it’s at least a 10-month recovery period for a player to return from an Achilles tear. Ten months from today would be March 1, 2026. Lillard would miss nearly the entire 2025-26 season.
Returning from an Achilles tear is not an impossible task. In the last 15 years, we’ve seen several top-level NBA athletes return from this devastating injury. Arguably, the most famous is Lakers’ Kobe Bryant. At 34 years old in the 2013 playoffs, he tore his Achilles and underwent surgery in late April. Bryant returned that April, but was not fully himself. He lacked explosiveness. His recovery time is considered faster than the normal Achilles tear. We’ll see how this injury impacts Damian Lillard moving forward.
