NBA
How many All-Star MVPs and three-pointer champions does Damian Lillard have?
Damian Lillard, a former Weber State player who now plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, was awarded his first All-Star MVP award for his performance, last night.
Damian Lillard stole the show at the 73rd NBA all-star game Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, winning the game’s MVP with 39 points behind 11 made three-pointers, the first of his career. The Milwaukee Bucks point guard hit threes from the halfcourt line on in and sprinkled in a few layups for good measure to help the Eastern Conference win 211-186.
Fittingly, Lillard made his first basket by pulling up from the literal NBA logo on the court and knocking it down from 30 feet. He followed that up with two more threes. Lillard also had six assists and a steal. The highlight of Lillard’s play came with 6:54 remaining in the third quarter when the former Weber State star pulled up from beyond the mid-court line and knocked down a deep three-pointer. Lillard’s shot stretched the East’s lead to 132-105.
Lillard became the first player in NBA history to win the 3-point Contest and All-Star Game MVP in the same year. He also joins Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Glen Rice, and Larry Bird as the only players to win both honors throughout their careers.
Damian Lillard’s career All-Star game stats
Portland selected Lillard with the 6th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He has become a perennial NBA All-Star and one of the best at his position. In 2022, Lillard was recognized as one of the NBA’s 75 greatest players in history. Throughout his career, Damian Lillard has averaged 19.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 6 All-Star Games; although he is an 8-time All-Star, he was unable to play on two occasions due to injuries. Lillard has a record of 4-2 in All-Star victories, depending on the team he played for that season (Team Seph Curry, Team Lebron James, Team East).
Lillard also defended his NBA 3-point contest title by winning 26 points in the final round on Saturday night. He won while playing for the Trailblazers last season and became the eighth player to win at least two 3-point crowns. He is also the first player since Jason Kapono in 2007 and 2008 to win the contest in consecutive years. Lillard beat out Trae Young of Atlanta and Karl-Anthony Towns of Minnesota, who both had 24 points in the last round.