A study published last month had demonstrated a correlation between increased playing time and Achilles tendon ruptures. The NBA has repeatedly cast doubt on this finding.
In the study by the University of California, San Francisco, all 19 Achilles tendon ruptures suffered by NBA players over the past eleven years were examined in detail. The analysis took various factors into account, including playing time prior to the injury, game frequency, player age, position, and role, as well as injuries sustained during youth. A correlation—that is, a statistical link—was found only in relation to playing time.
The study was prompted by the recent significant increase in the incidence of this type of injury. While no more than four players had ever torn their Achilles tendons in a single season in NBA history, seven players suffered such injuries during the 2024–25 season. Among them were superstars Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum, and Damian Lillard. Incidentally, in the most recent season, that number dropped to just one player (Donte DiVincenzo).
NBA Sees “Methodological Limitations” in the Study
In the study’s conclusion, the authors stated that “significant stress peaks were observed” in the affected players “in the ten to 15 games prior to an Achilles tendon rupture.”
The NBA questions this finding. Dr. John DiFiori, head of the league’s sports medicine department, stated: “While we welcome further research, we believe the recent publication on this topic has significant methodological limitations.”
Although he did not elaborate on what this meant, he added that the league’s data reflected different results. They had been unable to establish “any relationship between Achilles tendon ruptures and the playing time prior to the injury.”