Achilles injury abruptly ends Ben Simmons NBA,

Ben Simmons’ comeback attempt with the Sacramento Kings generated more than one blip on the basketball radar during the preseason before it got here to an abrupt end Sunday when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon during follow.

Injuries had restricted the previous No. 1 total draft choose to showing in only 107 video games the last 5 seasons, but his return on a one-year $3.5-million, non-guaranteed contract had gone nicely enough that he was set to start in the regular-season opener Wednesday against the Clippers.

Simmons, thought of the best participant to come out of Australia, made news in August by participating in the national crew’s player-driven minicamp in Melbourne, a precursor to the 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Simmons, 30, has never performed in a major match for his home nation.

He also turned an unwitting half of an embarrassing episode three weeks in the past at Kings media day when open microphones captured an off-air dialog between feminine reporters discussing the bodily look and personalities of Simmons and teammates.

A girl’s voice said, “That’s what comes with being Ben Simmons. He is cringe, cringe,” and another lady added that he’s “lucky he’s so fine.” The first media member agrees, saying, “He’s a good-looking dude. His skin is, like, so smooth, I was like, damn, no tattoos?” The media members have yet to be recognized.

He refrained from commenting on the exchange besides to back teammate Zach LaVine, whose persona also was criticized by the reporters. But Simmons can be in road garments from now on. The Kings said he’ll bear surgical procedure to restore the tear, which usually requires a recovery period of six to 12 months.

“I’ve faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I’ve found a way through every single one of them,” Simmons said in a assertion posted to his Instagram Stories.

Being sidelined is nothing new for Simmons. He missed his complete first NBA season with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016-2017 with a foot injury, missed your entire 2021-2022 season with a back injury and your entire 2025-2026 season to focus on his bodily recovery from back and leg points as nicely as his mental well-being. He last performed for the Clippers in the spring of 2025, averaging 16.4 minutes and 2.9 factors over 18 video games.

That manufacturing was a far cry from the promise he displayed popping out of Louisiana State, where in his one season was a consensus All-American after averaging 19.2 factors, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists a sport. A 6-foot-10 level guard, Simmons was NBA rookie of the yr in 2017-2018, becoming a member of Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson as the only rookies to attain 1,000 factors, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. And Simmons was an All-Star the next three seasons before accidents started mounting.

His return this preseason was deliberately low-key, sliding onto the roster of the last-place Kings (22-60 last season) without a lot fanfare. Simmons was quietly repairing a repute marred by his succession of accidents and the efficiency anxiety and emotional burnout he has brazenly mentioned.

He also appeared eager on representing Australia for the first time. Simmons was pressured to miss the 2024 Paris Olympics with a back injury after passing on the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 Games even when comparatively healthy. Now any kind of return is again in jeopardy.