Damian Lillard had been out of the spotlight for a while, and he chose All-Star Weekend as the moment to remind everyone why he belongs there. Lillard returned to the three-point contest for the first time since tearing his Achilles last spring, marking a significant step in his comeback. He came to prove that he is still one of the game’s elite shooters and, as it turns out, still one of its most entertaining trolls as well.
Advertisement
Dame Time won his third three-point shooting contest, edging Devin Booker 29-27 in the final round. The crowd went wild, and fans across the league were happy to see Lillard back doing what he does best. When Giannis Antetokounmpo ran into him, however, a different version of Lillard emerged.
Giannis has invested in the popular new betting app Kalshi, which allows users to place wagers on more than just sports, extending into everyday events. It is one of the Greek Freak’s many business ventures. So when Antetokounmpo stopped to congratulate Lillard on the win, Dame asked a very simple question, one that was clearly intended as a playful jab.
“Did you place a bet on Khasi?” asked Lillard with a smile. Giannis picked up on the attempted jab immediately and just as playfully shut it down. “Stop! Stop, stop, stop,” he responded.
It was a funny little moment between two men who loved playing on the same team together but had to be separated because of the ugly side of NBA’s business.
DAMIAN LILLARD IS YOUR 3-POINT CONTEST CHAMPION ⌚️
Just the 3rd player EVER to win the contest 3 times…and he did it without playing a single minute this season pic.twitter.com/FRJP6VcNnM
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 14, 2026
Kalshi, meanwhile, has started to become a running joke with Giannis. The only bad thing is that running jokes are becoming more in line with the Greek Freak, at least this season. Aside from a few moments, his whole narrative since the summer has been “are you getting traded?” or “can someone tell me if he is getting traded so I can place a wager on Kalshi.”
At some point, Giannis will want to get back to doing what he does best, dominating players in the paint and embarrassing them on the perimeter. That is why Lillard was not afraid to crack the joke. He knows it would not faze someone as competitive as Antetokounmpo.
In a way, the whole exchange was a reminder of how quickly narratives flip in the NBA. One year you are rehabbing and people are wondering if your window is closing. The next, you are center stage with a trophy, cracking jokes like nothing ever changed. Lillard’s win was not just about a rack of money balls; it was a quiet statement that he is still him.
Longevity in today’s league belongs to players who can adapt, laugh off the noise, and still deliver when the lights come on. If this weekend showed anything, it is that Dame is not chasing the past. He is still adding chapters, and the league is simply more fun when he is right in the middle of it.
