NBA Commissioner Adam Silver apparently wants to get to the bottom of this rash of Achilles tears and the increasing number of lower body injuries, tears and strains. So, Silver dropped a bomb shell at the NBA Draft with further reaching implications than anything Ace Bailey could contrive. Silver and the NBA are using AI to look into this rash of injuries.
NBA Draft: Commissioner Adam Silver Addresses Rash Of Achilles Injuries
“We had already convened a panel of experts before Tyrese Haliburton’s most recent Achilles rupture,” Silver said in a recent interview on Wednesday night, from the NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
“7 this year…0 last year…We’re taking it very seriously…The most we’ve ever had in a season was four. It’s up to those groups of experts to figure out exactly what’s going on,” Silver continued before suggesting that players are not giving their bodies time to rest in the offseason after playing three games a week for months during the season. These workout habits over generations, maybe starting to catch up. Just ask the Ball Brothers.
“As you know modern NBA players in the summer are working harder in the offseason…sometimes three times a day. These workout habits begin at a younger age than ever now…Some experts feel like it has to do with youth basketball, from 10 to 19,” Silver explained, while also admitting there’s much they don’t know.
That’s where Artificial Intelligence comes in.
“The ability with AI to ingest all video of every game a player plays, to detect some pattern, Silver said with optimism.
Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum Tore Achilles In 2025 Playoffs
Tyrese Haliburton’s devastating Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, which eventually led to a Pacers loss and Oklahoma City Thunder championship, is one of several suffered by basketball stars in the 2025 NBA playoffs.
Haliburton had been playing through a calf strain against the Oklahoma City Thunder and insisted that he could play through discomfort in the crucial deciding Game 7. It turned out to be a bad move as his 2026 season is now in doubt.
Haliburton appears to be the third player to suffer a major Achilles injury during the NBA playoffs, which could point to a troubling trend away from player safety in the NBA. A total of eight NBA players reportedly went down with the injury during the 2024-25 season.
What Is Causing These Achilles Injuries In NBA?
“This could be the third star to injure his Achilles in this postseason run, if that is indeed what just happened to Haliburton,” Athletic’s Jared Weiss wrote in a post on X. “This is a devastating trend for the NBA that is going to need a substantial evaluation at the league level to understand why this keeps happening. It’s just heartbreaking.”
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tragedy changed the course of the ECF against the New York Knicks. Milwaukee Bucks All-star guard Damian also suffered Achilles tears earlier in the playoffs.
That’s some lost star power the NBA had to endure bad ratings in this year’s Finals between Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.
Expecting training staffs to better track the wear and tear on players is understandable and it could aid in preventing these injuries.
“The main thing that training staffs have to constantly evaluate is how do you optimize players’ bodies and handle their day-to-day maintenance in a league that has more sprinting and more high-torque acceleration than ever before,” Weiss wrote. “They’re all aware of this, but it’s clearly becoming a bigger risk factor as the pace has skyrocketed in recent years.”
NBA Fans Offer Opinions On What’s Causing Rash Of NBA Achilles Injuries
However, there are many other possible factors, including length of season, speed and pace of game. Some suggest the return to low cut sneakers are a recipe for disaster. Others suggest that advanced training and daily working out and practice mixed with a tremendous number of games prior to reaching high school level, makes it inevitable that once these athletes reach the rigors of the pro level already having compromised bodies, will succumb to at least one major lower body injury – and often at the worst possible time.
Kevin Durant had his Achilles tear during Game 5 of the 2019 Finals against Toronto Raptors. Like Haliburton, Durant had been dealing with a calf injury in the lead up to that particular game.
Fans, players and medical experts and analysts have various opinions as to why the spike in these kinds of injuries, particularly the Achilles.
“It’s the freakin low top shoes these guys all want to wear now,” said one fan.
“I BEEN SAYING IT WAS THE AAU CIRCUIT AND HIGH MILEAGE ON KIDS WHILE THEIR GROWTH PLATES STILL HAVENT CLOSED. SHIT MAKES SENSE,” said another.
“I think the grading of injuries and the recovery protocol definitely needs looking at. But at the same time as the pace of play increases these types of injures are probably unavoidable,” said a third fan, offering his theory on the injury outbreak.
Other fans suggested AI could be used in a way that could really help improve the game.
“Use AI to assist officials in real time, ensuring calls are accurate & consistent across the league. By your statement, If AI can analyze game footage to detect injury risks, it can absolutely identify fouls & relay that information to referees via earpiece, making the game fairer & more uniform from night to night. @NBA,” said one NBA fan.
The NBA continues to move into the future and the latest rash of injuries to star players is proof that no matter how much technology you incorporate into the game, the unpredictability of the human element will always reign supreme.
