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Tel: 239-430-3668Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons tore his right Achilles tendon during team practice on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026 — ending his comeback season before it started. The Kings confirmed the injury, first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, and the 30-year-old former No. 1 pick is expected to miss the entire 2026-27 season. Simmons had spent a full year away from basketball rehabilitating chronic back and leg injuries, starred through the preseason, and was days from his regular-season return when the tendon gave way.
His message after the injury: “This injury is another chapter in my journey, not the end of my story.” His comeback — and his recovery from surgery — now depends on how well the strongest tendon in the body heals. Here is what an Achilles rupture actually is, how it happens, and how it is treated, from the perspective of Southwest Florida’s board-certified foot and ankle specialists.
What Happened to Ben Simmons
The injury occurred during a Kings practice, one day before the team was set to open the regular season. The Kings announced the torn Achilles, and reports from the Sydney Morning Herald indicate Simmons faces surgery and another season out of basketball. The timing was cruel: an ESPN documentary on his comeback was scheduled to air the same evening. Simmons knows serious foot injuries before a season begins — in September 2016, he rolled his ankle in his final rookie-camp scrimmage with Philadelphia and broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, costing him his entire rookie year.
What the Achilles Tendon Does — and What a Rupture Is
The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles (the gastrocnemius and soleus) to the heel bone. It is the largest tendon in the body and handles forces of several times body weight every time you run, jump, or push off your toes. An Achilles rupture is a complete or partial tear of that tendon, most often at a section roughly 2 to 6 centimeters above the heel — a spot with naturally poorer blood supply.
How Achilles Ruptures Happen: Causes and Risk Factors
Almost all Achilles ruptures happen the same way: a sudden push-off, an abrupt change of direction, or an unexpected stretch of the tendon under full load. Think of a basketball player exploding toward the rim, or a pickleball player lunging for a short ball. Risk factors include:
- Age and activity mismatch. Most ruptures occur in men between 30 and 50 — the classic “weekend warrior” whose tendon has aged faster than his ambition.
- A long layoff before a sudden return. Deconditioned calf muscles and tendons absorb force poorly. Simmons had not played in a full year before his preseason ramp-up.
- Prior Achilles tendinitis. A tendon that has been chronically irritated is structurally weakened even when the pain fades.
- Certain medications. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics and corticosteroid injections near the tendon are both associated with increased rupture risk.
- Tight calf muscles and poor footwear that keep the tendon under constant tension.
Symptoms: What an Achilles Rupture Feels Like
The story is remarkably consistent. Patients describe hearing or feeling a sharp pop in the back of the ankle — many say it feels like they were kicked in the back of the leg, then turn around and nobody is there. Within minutes, pushing off becomes difficult or impossible, standing on tiptoes fails on the injured side, and the back of the ankle swells. A visible or palpable gap often develops where the tendon tore.
One warning worth repeating: the pain is often surprisingly mild. Many people walk out of the gym on a ruptured Achilles and assume it is “just a sprain.” That delay in diagnosis can complicate treatment, because a tear that heals poorly in a lengthened position is much harder to repair later.
How an Achilles Rupture Is Diagnosed
A board-certified podiatrist can usually diagnose a rupture in the exam room. The classic test is the Thompson test: squeezing the calf should make the foot point downward — if it does not, the tendon is torn. Doctors also check for a palpable gap and compare push-off strength side to side. Ultrasound confirms the tear and shows the gap between tendon ends; an MRI is used when surgical planning requires detail. Getting evaluated within days of the injury matters, because the treatment window and options change as the tendon retracts and starts to heal in the wrong position.
Treatment: From Conservative Care to Surgery
There are two accepted paths, and both have a place:
- Non-surgical treatment. The foot is placed in a boot or cast in a pointed-toe position, then gradually brought back to neutral over weeks, followed by functional rehabilitation. It avoids surgical risks (wound complications, nerve irritation) but carries a somewhat higher chance of re-rupture and a weaker push-off.
- Surgical repair. The torn ends are stitched back together, sometimes with an augmentation technique. Surgery lowers the re-rupture rate and tends to restore more strength, and is typically favored for athletes like Simmons and for active patients who want maximum push-off power.
Either way, rehabilitation is where the outcome is won. Return to sport typically takes 6 to 9 months, with elite performance often requiring a full year — a timeline that explains why Simmons’ 2026-27 season is gone even with a flawless surgery.
For Southwest Florida Athletes: Pickleball, Golf and the Weekend Warrior Problem
Southwest Florida may be the Achilles rupture capital of casual sport. Pickleball — quick lunges, hard cuts, all-zero-to-sprint movements — produces the exact loading pattern that tears this tendon, and our practice sees it constantly in players in their 50s, 60s and beyond. Golf is gentler on the tendon but still produces chronic Achilles tendinitis from pushing off the back foot and walking 18 holes.
The prevention playbook is simple and proven: stretch the calves daily, rebuild fitness gradually after any layoff longer than a few weeks (do not go from the couch to three pickleball matches), replace worn court shoes, and address heel or Achilles pain early instead of playing through it. Runners and walkers with chronic heel pain can start with our heel pain specialists.
Achilles Injury Care at Family Foot & Leg Center
Family Foot & Leg Center, PA (FFLC) is Southwest Florida’s leading foot and ankle practice, led by founder and clinical director Dr. Kevin Lam, DPM, FACFAS, DABLES, DABPS — board-certified in foot surgery, reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery, and lower extremity surgery. Our team of board-certified podiatric physicians and surgeons treats Achilles ruptures and the full range of foot and ankle injuries at nine locations from Marco Island to Sarasota, including Naples, Estero, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte and Sarasota.
What we offer for Achilles and sports injuries:
- Foot and ankle trauma and urgent care — same-day or next-day evaluation of suspected Achilles tears, fractures and severe sprains, because the first few days decide the treatment options.
- Shockwave therapy (EPAT) for chronic Achilles tendinitis and heel pain that has not responded to rest, stretching or injections — a non-invasive option that stimulates healing in the tendon itself (learn about shockwave therapy).
- Custom orthotics designed from a full biomechanical exam to reduce the strain that causes tendinitis in the first place (about our custom orthotics).
- Sports podiatry for pickleball, golf, running and tennis players who want to stay active, not just pain-free (our sports podiatry program).
- Advanced wound care and reconstructive surgery for complex cases, from diabetic foot wounds to rearfoot and ankle reconstruction.
Scheduling is easy and always open: use our 24/7 self-service scheduling to pick an office and a time, or call (239) 430-3668, where our phone line is answered around the clock.
Schedule an appointment at FFLC — naplespodiatrist.com — and get back on the court, the course and your feet. Follow the practice on Instagram (@footlegcenter) and LinkedIn for patient education and practice updates.
