Damian Lillard Tells Reporters Surgery 'Brings Me A Lot Of Peace'

PORTLAND, OR — Stepping away from The Portland Trail Blazes so that he could have abdominal surgery was not an easy decision for six-time all-star Damian Lillard. The last time he missed a substantial amount of time, he was in college playing for Weber State and he broke his foot.

"Having to step away from the court, step away from my team, I haven't done that since I've been in the league," Lillard told reporters on Saturday. "It was a tough decision, but it was just one of those things.

"It had reached a point where my body couldn't do what my mind wanted it to do."

Lillard said the abdominal injury had bothered him on and off since 2015 but it was only recently that it began making a difference.

During the Tokyo Olympics last summer, teammate Jrue Holiday convinced Lillard to go under the knife, citing his own experience with the same procedure.

"He was the first person that pretty much confirmed that I needed to have surgery because I sat out of practice one day and I was like, 'I can’t move,' and I was kind of just holding it," Lillard said.

"And he just started describing every single symptom," Lillard said. “And he was like ‘I had it.'"

Lillard is just two weeks out from surgery but can see that he's healing.

The important thing, he said, is now that's he's done with the surgery, he can look ahead.

"Just to know I've handled it and I'm able to move forward with the rest of my career, it brings me a lot of peace," he said.

Lillard will be available at some point in the next 6 to 8 weeks.