The opening weeks of the 2025-26 NBA season have been marked by key player injuries, with the Achilles tendon being a recurring injury.
The rate of players missing half of the season or being ruled out for the entire season due to Achilles injuries does not appear to be slowing down. The Achilles tendon is the most commonly seen injury due to overuse.
During Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers tore his Achilles tendon. After having surgery in June, Haliburton was ruled out for the entire 2025-26 season.
The Pacers have been struggling this season so far, with Haliburton out and key players gone in trades. Starting the season being 1-12 is not what was expected from a team that made the NBA Finals last April.
The Trail Blazers will also miss a key player, Damian Lillard, who has been ruled out for the season after also tearing his Achilles tendon in the NBA finals playoffs last April.
And the Boston Celtics are missing Jason Tatum due to a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the second round of the playoffs last season against the Knicks. The team has set a possible return date of April 1, right before the playoffs.
Kyrie Irving and Jalen Williams also are not playing due to injuries sustained in the previous season.
Last March, Irving tore his ACL in a game against the Kings. Irving is listed as possibly returning on Jan. 1.
Williams hurt his wrist in April during a playoff game. He continued playing throughout the playoffs and got surgery in July. Williams’ return date is not set to a specific date, but he is listed as being out for Wednesday’s game against the Lakers.
Lebron James, meanwhile, got injured during the Lakers’ preseason workouts. James had to miss the start of the season due to a pinched sciatic nerve in his lower back. No date has been set for James to be cleared to play in games, but he has been playing on the Lakers’ NBA G League team.
The Lakers were expected to be affected by James’ injury, but the team has filled the role of his injury and started the season 10-4.
The last key player missed on the court is Trae Young on the Atlanta Hawks. Young, in an October game against the Brooklyn Nets, sprained his MCL after colliding with one of his own players.
Although these key players have been missed on the court, the NBA is still thriving, as other players have stepped into the spot of the injured players to make their own impact on their teams.
