Achilles tendon ruptures are serious injuries that can derail NBA careers and cost teams millions. While many studies focus on player performance after injury, few explore the severity of the damage. In the recent Game 7 of the NBA finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton tore his ACL, forcing the end of his hopes of a title. Damian Lillard faced his left torn ACL in gam four against the Pacers. While in the semifinals, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum met this same unexpected setback.
Few NBA legends and analysts believe the severity is rising daily as the modern game approaches high explosiveness. They consider that the situation might be reduced by cutting down the series length. The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, made a significant decision to use high-tech to analyze the injury pattern.
An Achilles tear is one of the worst injuries a basketball player can face, especially after 30. Still, not every story ends badly; some players have made strong comebacks. With better rehab and medical care today, recovering from an Achilles tear is becoming more possible than it used to be.
Post-Achilles injury, Stats Saw Notable Drops
According to a 2013 study, seven of 18 players who suffered Achilles injuries between 1988 and 2011 never played another NBA game. Those who did return missed an average of 56 games and often posted significant drops in efficiency. A 2015 CBC sports review showed a consistent decline in field goal and three-point percentages post-injury.
For most numbers, don’t lie. DeMarcus Cousins fell from 21.2 to 8.9 ppg, while Brandon Jennings fell from 16.6 to 6.9. Klay Thompson’s PPG slightly dipped from 19.5 to 18.2. Chauncey Billups averaged just 6.2 points per game in his final 41 appearances after tearing his ACL at age 35.
There are rare exceptions. Dominique Wilkins tore his Achilles in 1992 at age 32 and returned to average 26.2 over the next two seasons. At the same time, Kevin Durant met the same. He suffered from Achilles’ Tendon during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, but increased from 27 to 27.9. Most players struggled to regain their peak form, with Durant and Wilkins being the rare exceptions.
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