NBA Investigates Rise in Achilles Tendon Injuries
The NBA is taking energetic measures to understand the recent increase in Achilles tendon injuries, according to commissioner Adam Silver. Interest in the topic arose even before Tyrese Haliburton, star of the Indiana Pacers, suffered a break in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. During the current season, the league has recorded seven known Achilles tendon injuries. Among the affected players are James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson of the Pacers, Dejounte Murray of the New Orleans Pelicans, and Dru Smith of the Miami Heat. In addition, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Haliburton suffered the injury during the playoffs.Silver pointed out that there were no injuries of this type in the NBA last season. The increase in these injuries has reignited the debate about the length of the NBA season. However, Silver does not believe this is the main problem. He suggests that the training of young players and the intensity of off-season workouts could be contributing to the problem. Silver added that most Achilles injuries in the last ten years have occurred before the All-Star break. In Game 7, Haliburton was injured in the first quarter, a game the Pacers lost against Oklahoma City. After undergoing surgery, Haliburton expressed that he did not regret having played with a calf strain, which some suspect may have influenced the Achilles tendon injury. The league is using artificial intelligence to analyze data and look for patterns that could explain the increase in these injuries. Silver commented that AI could be key to analyzing match videos and detecting patterns that might go unnoticed, which would help to better understand the causes of these injuries.We had already convened a panel of experts before Tyrese’s recent Achilles rupture. We had seven this year. We had zero last year under the same circumstances. The most we’ve had in a season is four.
Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner
