Damian Lillard Wins 3-Point Contest Again
Damian Lillard has clinched the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest title again, marking his third victory in this event. This win occurred at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, despite Lillard missing the entire 2025-26 season due to an Achilles injury. He previously triumphed in 2023 and 2024.
The evening began with NBA legends Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Carmelo Anthony introducing the night’s events to a modest crowd, followed by Queen Latifah, who unveiled the eight competitors.
Participants included Hornets guard Con Knuppel, Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, and several others, including Lillard himself. Former Clipper Powell received an enthusiastic reception while Booker faced some boos from the crowd.
Each contestant had 70 seconds to shoot basketballs from five racks positioned behind the 3-point line. Regular balls were worth one point, while “money balls” were valued at two. For the extra challenge, two “From the Logo” money balls worth three points were available for those shooting a few feet further back.
Knuppel, the only rookie, pleasantly surprised everyone with a solid initial score of 27 points, followed by Mitchell’s 24. Murray managed to secure 18 points; Powell scored 23, while Portis Jr. netted 15. Maxey followed with 17, and Booker dazzled everyone with an impressive 30 points.
Lillard, recovering from his injury, finished the first round with 27 points. Ultimately, it was Booker, Knuppel, and Mitchell who moved on to the final round based on their scores.
Knuppel began the championship round but seemed a bit let down after accumulating just 17 points. In contrast, Lillard soared with 29 points, appearing satisfied with his performance. Although Booker needed 30 points to win, he fell short of beating Lillard’s total.
Following his victory, Lillard received a crystal trophy and expressed his happiness about competing despite his injury. He humorously confessed to “praying” for Booker to falter in the final round, prompting laughter from the audience.
“This was my chance to compete, and I really enjoyed it,” he noted. Celebrities like Keegan-Michael Key and Chris Tucker were spotted in the courtside seats, adding to the event’s star appeal.
During breaks in the action, fans had opportunities to win T-shirts and memorabilia, while the Clippers dance team entertained onlookers with their performances.
