The Milwaukee Bucks have been considered by some to be a dark-horse contender in the NBA's Eastern Conference lately. After starting the season 2-8, they got hot and started to rise in the standings.

However, they have lost six of their last 10 games, and as a result, they have fallen to fifth place in the East behind the Indiana Pacers.

On Tuesday, they were dealt a very unfortunate blow when it was announced that star guard Damian Lillard has been diagnosed with a case of deep vein thrombosis — the medical term for a blood clot — in his calf. He will be out indefinitely as a result.

Lillard issued a statement to NBA reporter Chris Haynes and said his health and family have to come first.

"It’s unfortunate that something outside of my control would come up," Lillard said. "Along with the Bucks’ medical staff, our priorities are to protect my health and safety. As much as I love basketball, I need to be there for my kids and my family. I’m grateful the Bucks acted quickly on this. They’ve been supportive and proactive throughout this process. I look forward to moving past this and continuing my career."

Lillard, who was traded to Milwaukee by the Portland trail Blazers late in the summer of 2023, had a rough first season in Milwaukee. But this season, he seemed to find his stride and niche with his new team.

Thus far this season, he's averaging 24.9 points and 7.1 assists a game while shooting 44.8% from the field and 37.6% from 3-point range.

Blood clots aren't a medical condition to be cavalier about. San Antonio Sours superstar Victor Wembanyama was recently shut down for the year due to one of his own.

Ten years ago, star forward Chris Bosh was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a blood clot in his leg, and after it reoccurred the following season, he decided to retire despite possibly having multiple seasons of high-level basketball left in him.