Last week, Damian Lillard joined the list of players who will miss the rest of the season due to physical ailments. What’s striking about this is that the Milwaukee Bucks star added his name to a list that already included Victor Wembanyama, who had also dealt with blood clot issues earlier in the 2024-25 NBA season. In light of these incidents, Kevin Garnett, a Boston Celtics legend, offered his take.
“I hope the league… I’m not saying they’re withholding information, but they really need to take a deep dive into this,” Garnett said during a conversation with former teammates Paul Pierce and Tony Allen on Ticket and the Truth podcast. “This has happened to three or four players this year. You didn’t hear about this last year, and I didn’t hear about it two years ago.”
The former Boston Celtics center then shared a theory about the rise in blood clot cases. “You know what I think it’s coming from, bro? The medication,” he explained. “I’m not a doctor, but this is all I’ve learned from going through this. I’m willing to bet that is anything in the medicine… it really puts a burden on your bloodstream and a burden on your body.”
Garnett went on to describe the physical toll that NBA players experience. “Listen to me, bro, you’re in so much pain after a game… All this stuff is to help the joints calm down immediately… You have to go through an extensive test just for these reasons here on how you’re not only reacting to it but if the medicine is affecting any bodily organs, if it’s (expletive) with organs you can’t take it.”
Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts untucking his jersey after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Bucks 104-93 at Chase Center on March 18, 2025..
Garnett weighs in on the risks of playing in the NBA
Garnett also spoke about the physical challenges that come with competing in the NBA. “The first problem with every person in the league is that he’s not hydrated. Every person that you see playing, is probably dehydrated,” he said. “That’s because you’re running 8, 9 miles a night. Imagine you play Stephen Curry, you’re probably running 11 miles just chasing him.”
see also
Kevin Garnett names his all-time NBA starting five excluding Michael Jordan and LeBron James
The 2008 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics continued: “So you gotta take medicine that kills or cuts off some of that inflated. And if you start taking that medicine, taking that medicine, taking that medicine, the first thing that get that is your kidneys and your liver. Because you gotta process that, and if you’re not hydrated, then it’s really…”
Wembanyama and Lillard out for the season
Damian Lillard, a recent case of blood clots in his calf, was forced to sit out the remainder of the season, leaving the Milwaukee Bucks without one of their stars just ahead of the playoffs. Months earlier, the same fate befell Victor Wembanyama, who dealt with a blood clot in his right shoulder. This setback was a huge blow to the San Antonio Spurs and effectively ended their chances of competing this season.
Beyond the sports impact, the most important concern in these situations has been the health of the players. During the same conversation on Ticket and the Truth podcast, the hosts recalled the case of Chris Bosh, who had to retire due to a similar condition years ago. “You have to take that seriously. Blood clots are nothing to play with,” Garnett concluded.
