Ben Simmons suffers torn Achilles tendon weeks before season return

Summarised from 3 outlets · 5 reports · Updated 19 Oct, 00:26 · Archive

Australian basketball player Ben Simmons has sustained a suspected torn Achilles tendon in practice, ruling him out for the season before his NBA comeback with Sacramento Kings.

Ben Simmons has sustained a suspected torn Achilles tendon in practice with the Sacramento Kings, ruling him out for the entire season before it even begins. The Australian guard, aged 30, suffered the injury on Sunday, just three days before the Kings' season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

Simmons had sat out the previous season to focus on his physical and mental health but had shown promise in pre-season performances with Sacramento. He had signed a one-year deal with the Kings and was preparing for his first NBA game in 538 days, having last played in April 2025 with the Clippers.

The injury is a significant setback to what Dwight Howard had forecast as the "greatest comeback story in NBA history". ESPN had been preparing to air a documentary on his return to basketball. The news drew reactions from NBA journalists, with Marc Stein calling it "devastating in Sacramento for Ben Simmons to sustain such a serious injury just as he was about to make his official NBA comeback".

Simmons was also motivated by hopes of playing for the Australian Boomers at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, but that opportunity now appears unlikely. His long-term future with the NBA is again uncertain following the one-year contract with Sacramento.

If confirmed as an Achilles tear, it would be the third such injury this month in the NBA, following Philadelphia's Ariel Hukporti and Oklahoma City's Otega Oweh.

How it is being reported

• Ben Simmons' NBA comeback halted by cruel injury blowBen Simmons' NBA comeback appears over before it began amid reports of a devastating injury setback on the eve of the new season.Perth Now · 19 Oct, 00:52
• Ben Simmons' NBA comeback halted by cruel injury blowBen Simmons' NBA comeback appears over before it began amid reports of a devastating injury setback on the eve of the new season.The West Australian · 19 Oct, 00:52
• Ben Simmons was on the verge of an NBA comeback after 538 days. A serious injury has derailed itBen Simmons was on the verge of returning to the NBA after 538 days, but an injury has reportedly ruled him out for the season before it even begins, on Wednesday. While it’s misfortune for Simmons, there are nine other Aussies taking part and we have a look at their paths forward.WAtoday · 19 Oct, 00:17
• NBA world floored as Ben Simmons suffers ‘devastating’ Achilles injury: ‘Awful news’His high-profile comeback has been totally derailed just three days before the season opener.Perth Now · 19 Oct, 00:13
• NBA world floored as Ben Simmons suffers ‘devastating’ Achilles injury: ‘Awful news’His high-profile comeback has been totally derailed just three days before the season opener.The West Australian · 19 Oct, 00:12

In this story: Ben Simmons · Sacramento Kings · Los Angeles Clippers · Philadelphia 76ers · Australia

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