Now, it's not people just started having achilles injuries now - they've been an injury forever. A couple decades back, they were basically career enders. But from my recollection, they've seemingly become way more common, and way more impactful with it happening to star players. This is the third all star to tear it in these playoffs. I noted the Tatum one earlier, but there was also Dame Lillard in the first round. We of course had Kevin Durant in the 2019 Finals. A few other big ones over the years. And the worst part of all of these is they come in the playoffs - not for nothing because they are after long, grueling seasons, and result in basically the entire next season being immediately zeroed out.
Admittedly, I have no suggestion for what the NBA should do. Would also want to make clear that this isn't a problem specific to the NBA. We've seen achilles injuries seemingly rise in the NFL - think of Aaron Rodgers. And somehow they always seem to happen in high profile moments. The Rodgers one is obvious in that sense, on his like fifth dropback for the Jets or whatever it was. We also saw Dre Greenlaw in the Super Bowl. Worst of all, most of these are non-contact as well - just a season, if not two, gone in the blink of an eye.
I don't know if any league can do anything - but whether its treatment or prevention, or some medical breakthrough, something needs to happen. As I said earlier, achilles injuries have been happening since people started playing sports. But so have other injuries taht used to be as high profile, as seemingly career threatening. There's UCL tears in baseball, and ACL tears in football to name two (of course ACL tears happen in the NBA also). Both of those used to be if not career ending, than at minimum career altering. They still ahve significant recovery times, but pitchers come back as good if not better than before from UCL tears often now, and ever since I would say the time of Carson Palmer's high-profile ACL tear in the 2005 Playoffs, ACL tears are basically easily recoverable from as well.
Modern medicine in terms of surgical procedures, rehab, whatever it is, has made these harrowing injuries into just small bumps in the road. We need to get there with the achilles. I realize this might be asking for some magic cure. I realize this is more just complaining at a point where one of the great NBA Finals of all time had their culminating moment blow up in an instant. Watching the Pacers valiantly try to keep up was fun for a bit, but there was this pall of blankess, of darkness, that surrounded the whole experience.
Hopefully, my prayers are answered by the sports medicine gods. The NBA needs this, all sports need this. But I guess, as mythology will rightfully tell us, the achilles has been the downfall from teh times of Gods and Legends adn Millenia - why would suddenly it become anything different.
