Sorry basketball fans, this one’s going to be a downer, so strap in, maybe sit down. Damian Lillard is going through a gruelling recovery from a torn Achilles he suffered in the first round of the Playoffs. Yet as he works to bid these dark times goodbye, his heart still bleeds for a fellow basketball player called Jarred Dwayne Shaw, who’s in prison right now.
Jarred Dwyane Shaw is a former Aggies big man who last played for the Tangerang Hawks in the Indonesian league. On 7 May, the Soekarno-Hatta police raided his apartment and arrested him on drug-related charges. But hearing the punishment that Shaw might face might have been what caused Dame to lose it. Even 9821 miles away, Lillard still feels the gravity of this life-threatening situation.
“Come on, man wtf going on,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. Even nearly 10,000 miles away, Damian’s heart aches for his peer. Dame’s story had a tagged post of a report on the whole Jarred Shaw incident. The headline read, “American Basketball Player Facing Death Penalty in Indonesia.” You see, that’s quite an accurate headline. They take drug crimes quite seriously in Indonesia.
And the police caught Shaw with 132 cannabis candies in his apartment after they received a tip from airport customs that told them Shaw had received a suspicious package from Thailand. “We are still running the investigation to uncover the international drugs network behind this case and to stop its distribution,” said Ronald Sipayung, the Soekarno-Hatta Airport police chief.
Things don’t look good for Shaw right now. Per CNN, around 530 people and 96 foreigners are on death row for mostly drug-related crimes in Indonesia. And Shaw is at risk of becoming the next. So, even as he goes through intense rehab for an injury that may leave him the shell of a player he once was, Damian Lillard is still sympathizing with Shaw after hearing his harrowing tale.
But speaking of the Bucks star’s own agonizing experience, we have an update from his club about how his recovery is coming along. And amid all this dour news, you’re probably itching for some positive updates,
Milwaukee Bucks reveal ‘optimistic’ Damian Lillard update
Damian Lillard has been through the wringer this season. But right now, he’s doing his best to return to fitness as soon as he can. And the Bucks are doing their best to keep us apprised regarding his recovery.
They recently shared a post on X that had a cryptic yet positive update from the 2x All-Star 3-point Contest winner himself. The post had a picture of Dame with “Unbreakable” written above his head. And towards the bottom, the text read, “OPTIMISTIC.” The Bucks’ post itself had no caption. Quite cryptic from both the club and their player, huh?
Mar 13, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks wore a small patch to honor former player Junior Bridgeman who passed away this week. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
But the Milwaukee Bucks fanbase will appreciate even a pinch of good news when it comes to Damian Lillard. After all, he went through a life-threatening illness only to have his season ended by a gruesome injury. But right now, Dame seems too bothered by Jared Shaw’s plight to focus on himself.
We just hope all ends well here, for Dame and Shaw.
The post “Wtf Goin On”: Damian Lillard Voices Against Life-Threatening Situation 9,821 Miles Away Amid Personal Struggles appeared first on EssentiallySports.
