Why Damian Lillard has no regrets about missing the season rehabbing from an Achilles injury

This past offseason was basically a reset Damian Lillard. After having suffered an Achilles injury and by parting ways with the Milwaukee Bucks, all the stars aligned for him to correct his mistake of leaving Portland Trail Blazers and come back home.

The franchise icon is signed a a three-year, $41.6 million contract with the Blazers, an organization that allowed him to blossom into an All-NBA talent over the first 10 seasons of his career. Now that he’s back in Portland, Dame has a new perspective on his injury recovery and what the future holds.

More importantly, he is grateful and in peace with his decision to sit out the entire 2025-26 NBA season in order to be 100 percent for the start of next year.

“It’s going great. I think it’s just one of those injuries where you have to take your time. You know, it takes what it takes,” Lillard said of his recovery from the injury when he recently spoke with Amazon Prime’s Eli Clifton. “The first few weeks, maybe two or three months, it’s a bit frustrating because you’re so limited. But with patience, giving yourself grace and doing the things necessary to keep moving forward, you get to the point where you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

No matter what injury a player is dealing with, stars like Lillard always want to do everything they can to get back on the court. This was Lillard’s mindset at first, but he understands the time it takes to recover from an Achilles injury.

While it was a tough decision, Lillard says he now feels “even better” about his decision to sit out a year after seeing what’s going on with his rehab and how his body feels in 2026.

“I’m just moving on and seeing it all come back. I think that’s the number one concern, ‘How am I going to move after this?’ So I’m putting everything back and I’m just getting to the point where I have to get used to the unpredictable movements, a little bit of contact, increasing the pace more and more, being in the air, landing, not thinking too much about it, things like that.

“I feel better about the decision to give myself the maximum amount of time. Also, looking at our team and the kind of growth we’ve had, I know if I’m able to do this and get it right, we’ll have a great shot next season.”

The 35-year-old star finds himself in a unique situation now that he’s back in Portland. Unlike previous years with the Blazers, Lillard is no longer the focal point of the roster.

This team is led by the young, emerging talents of Danny Avdia and Shaddon Sharpe, which is why Lillard now finds himself in the unique role of veteran leader of the organization. He will be vital to the overall success of the franchise moving forward, especially as Dame’s experience and expertise will help those around him grow and expand their individual games.

Sitting out the entire 2025-26 season certainly isn’t ideal for Lillard, but he has become a leading voice for the Trail Blazers’ young players and will be ready for the start of the 2026-27 season.