The NBA has announced the participants for this year’s Three-Point Contest, and alongside seven other players, Damian Lillard is listed as the final entrant.
Damian Lillard, in fact, has been injured and hasn’t played a single game this season for the Portland Trail Blazers, having returned after two years with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Claim Now Still, despite that, the American guard will take part in this year’s All-Star three-point shooting contest, the NBA announced on its channels.
Many would argue that it’s absurd for a player who hasn’t made a single three-pointer this season to enter the contest ahead of players in much better form.
However, what this—and many previous examples over the years—shows is that the NBA is, first and foremost, a show, and Lillard earned this spot as a two-time champion of the contest and as someone the All-Star audience surely wants to see again.
For years, there have been complaints when certain players who deserved it aren’t part of the All-Star Game—or vice versa. Still, beyond the on-court spectacle, the NBA All-Star Weekend is also driven by business considerations and the popularity of certain players.
