LOOK BACK: Damian Lillard’s 3-Point Contest Wins Ahead of His 2026 All-Star Return
Alta Sports2 months ago · 377 views
Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
By Joel Reyes
Damian Lillard is back! The Portland Trail Blazers star will make his much-anticipated return to the hard court this coming Sunday (PH time) after he was named one of the participants in the 2026 NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest.
Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Lillard, who has yet to play a single game this season due to an Achilles injury he suffered during last year’s NBA Playoffs, will be looking to tie the record of three 3-point contests wins held by Hall of Famer Larry Bird and Craig Hodges.
Alta Sports looks back at Dame Time’s previous two victories in the All-Star event ahead of his grand comeback at Intuit Dome.
Lillard wins 2023 3-Point Contest
Lillard finally won the 3-point Contest in his third career appearance in the event, besting 2020 winner Buddy Hield and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton in the final round of the competition in 2023.
Haliburton made waves in the first round, scoring 31 points to tie a 3-point contest record. Lillard and Hield also qualified for the final round after dropping 26 and 23 points, respectively, in the opening round.
Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
The 2023 shootout added two “Starry” balls to spice up the competition. They were placed deep behind the 3-point arc, roughly 30 feet away, on each side of the middle rack past the top of the key, with each made basket from that range netting three points.
Lillard knocked down two baskets from “Starry” range in the final round, counting for six points total. That helped him edge out Hield 26-25 to claim his first-ever 3-point title in the All-Star Game. He sealed the victory in dramatic fashion, burying his last attempt from the corner with a two-point money ball.
Lillard wins 2024 3-Point Contest
Lillard made history in 2024, becoming the first repeat champion of the 3-point contest since Jason Kapono won back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
The victory didn’t come easy for Lillard, who needed just one more basket on the final rack for the win but clanged his first four shots off the rim from the corner.
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