After just 79 seconds into Game 4 of the Timberwolves-Nuggets first-round matchup in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, Timberwolves guard Donte Divencenzo went down after planting his right leg to chase a missed offensive shot. At that time, he was diagnosed with a non-contact lower right leg injury, but NBA fans knew exactly what had happened when they saw the replay: a torn Achilles.
Over the past two seasons, there have been at least eight Achilles injuries in the NBA. What stands out even more is that half of these players sport the number zero on their jerseys, leading me to ask, “Is the ACL the Achilles’ heel for those who wear that number? More generally, why have Achilles injuries been so prevalent recently?”
According to Dr. Michael Fredericson, director of physical medicine and rehabilitation for sports at Stanford, it’s easy to injure the calf, which is connected to the Achilles tendon, because the calf is used in various forms of movement. Dr. Nirav Pandya, a professor at the University of California San Francisco, has attributed Achilles tears in the NBA due to the overuse of the calf, which is definitely the case in an explosive sport like basketball. This overuse can cause calf strains, which lead to Achilles tears in turn when players don’t rest enough and return to the floor too soon.. One specific example of this was Kevin Durant during the 2019 NBA Finals, who came back after only one month of recovery from his calf strain injury; unsurprisingly, he tore his Achilles tendon just 12 minutes into Game 5 of the Finals.
Incidents like this have sparked concerns regarding the number of regular-season games each year, as players’ bodies are worn out and more susceptible to injury after a tiring 82-game season. Does the number of regular-season games need to be shortened, especially since many of the past Achilles injuries have occurred during the playoffs? Although Achilles injuries aren’t extremely common, they have been increasing over the past few years and have forced many star players to miss over a whole year of play. Achilles tears require an extended period of recovery compared to other types of injuries because the calf and Achilles tendon are crucial in providing NBA players with explosiveness and athleticism.
Taking everything into consideration, the recent incidents in the NBA regarding Achilles tears can’t be ignored. There is still a lot of research around Achilles injuries left uncovered, so in the meantime, NBA players and athletic trainers should stay wary of this concern, whether this is a curse of the number zero or simply a coincidence.
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