Damian Lillard Defies Achilles Injury To Claim 3PT Contest Crown
Feb 14, 2026, 4:14 PM
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 14: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers shoots a 3-pointer during the State Farm 3-Point Contest during 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at Intuit Dome on February 14, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Former Weber State star Damian Lillard beat the odds and won the 3-point contest at NBA All-Star Weekend on Saturday.
With the win, Lillard joins Larry Bird and Craig Hodges as the only players to be crowned three-point contest champions three times.
DAMIAN LILLARD HOLDS ON TO WIN HIS THIRD @StateFarm NBA 3-Point Contest!!!
Final Round:
Damian Lillard 29, Devin Booker 27, Kon Knueppel 17
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 14, 2026
Lillard has yet to play in a regular-season game this year as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered last season, but that didn’t stop the sharpshooter from making an appearance in the All-Star festivities.
Set to go last in the first round, He needed to top former Jazzman Donovan Mitchell’s mark of 24 to advance to the final, and he did just that.
After starting strong with seven makes over the first two racks, he went on to drain 20 of 27 shots, including 3/5 on money balls.
The 27 in round one tied him with Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel, setting up the final round between
Damian Lillard’s 1st Round Score: 27 🎯
He advances to the Final Round of the @StateFarm NBA 3-Point Contest!
Tap to watch: https://t.co/BpnjnxQ8vC pic.twitter.com/Yfq4APy9Fb
— NBA (@NBA) February 14, 2026
Unlike the first round, Lillard’s fate wasn’t entirely in his own hands.
After edging out Knueppel with a lights-out score of 29, it was up to Booker to either tie or surpass that mark.
Heading into his final money ball rack, the Phoenix star had 23 on the board and needed three makes to tie or four to win. Booker drained the first two, but then ended with three straight misses to end with 27.
THE DRAMA 🔥🔥🔥
Incredible finish to the @StateFarm NBA 3-Point Contest. https://t.co/CTlMr1p7Xx pic.twitter.com/mQWn6oOr5n
— #NBAAllStar (@NBAAllStar) February 14, 2026
Lillard becomes the first player to win an All-Star event with zero minutes prior to the weekend.
He is also just the second player to ever compete in the event with zero NBA minutes. In 1989, EuroLeague star Rimas Kurtinaitis competed in the event and scored nine points.
