Fans React to Bucks' Damian Lillard Being Eliminated Early in All-Star 3-Point Contest

Ricardo Klein | Feb 16, 2025

Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) competes in the three-point contest during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

NBA All-Star Saturday night has come and gone, and unfortunately for Damian Lillard and Bucks fans, he failed to three-peat as 3-Point Contest champion.

Lillard fell short in this year's contest as he failed to make it out of the first round.

The 34-year-old needed 19 or more to get past the first round, and he fell short of that by one point.

Lillard recorded only 18 in the first round, tying with Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson. Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro beat out Lillard, and he ended up taking home the award as well.

Fans took to social media after Lillard failed at his three-peat run.

BREAKING: Damian Lillard, who won back-to-back NBA three-point contests in 2023 & 2024 & who was knocked out in the first round in 2025, has announced his retirement from the event.

Three-point contest legend! 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/QclJzKM5Vh

— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) February 16, 2025

pic.twitter.com/FkraVTLZT7

— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) February 16, 2025

He was yawning bc he didn’t gaf lmao

— Bron’s Best (@LBJsBest) February 16, 2025

Nonchalant gimmick got him eliminated lmao

— Paulos (@LoswitheMos) February 16, 2025

Cold tonight

— Sarah ⌚️🦌 (@soccer_3_mom) February 16, 2025

Lillard failed to become the first three-peat 3-point contest champion since Craig Hodges in 1992.

It certainly wasn't Lillard's night from before the arc; however, it was Herro's night.

Herro took home the crown with a final-round score of 24, edging fellow finalist Buddy Hield, who finished with 23 points in front of his hometown Golden State crowd.

The hometown hero Hield put on a show in the first round, tying the record with 31 points set by Warriors teammate Stephen Curry in 2021 and matched by Tyrese Haliburton in 2023.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland finished in third place. Garland finished with 17.

Hield finished with the highest score in the first round with 31 points. The 2020 3-Point winner was on fire in the first round; however, Herro was behind him with 19 points.

The NBA thrives on having its stars participate in these games; lucky that was the case in the three-point contest.

Stars like Lillard, Brunson, Garland, and Herro participated and put on a show for the fans.

That is what it is all about during All-Star weekend. The fans want to see the best of the best compete against and with each other.

Sunday's game should be action-packed.

Lillard will participate in his ninth All-Star game of his career and his first time playing in front of people in his hometown in the Bay Area.

The former No. 6 overall pick in the 20212 NBA Drfat hails from Oakland, California, where he attended St. Joseph Notre Dame and Oakland High School prior to Weber State.

More Bucks: Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Will Join Dunk Contest If Ja Morant Does

Former Bucks Legend Marques Johnson Named Finalist for 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame

Bucks Given Shocking Spot in NBA Organization Evaluation List

For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.