Three NBA stars suffered season-ending Achilles injuries this post-season. Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton were the casualties. Why?
"Overuse" seems to be the major culprit. And today's game involves a faster pace than fans witnessed in past decades, and the moves can be explosive. Existing calf injuries can also make a player more susceptible to tearing his Achilles tendon.
It is no surprise that Jayson Tatum was high man for Boston in minutes per game at 40.2 MPG this post-season. "Big deal", some may say. Hell, Bill Russell logged 42.7 minutes/game in the 1968-69 season. But the present game, as already indicated, is not the same now. Here's more on the Achilles tendon (per ESPN's Maria Dawson):
"The stresses that go through the Achilles tendon are probably the highest in the body, many times body weight, [just from] walking," he said. "... When you're talking about a professional athlete who's big and strong and doing serious running and jumping, you're talking huge loads."
"Huge loads" are exerted on the muscles, tendons and ligaments during games by these superior athletes, and major court time, existing calf injuries, age, insufficient recovery time and just plain bad luck can all play a role.
Basketball fans want to watch the stars in action, but starting to play in early childhood - enduring many practices - playing 82 games in the regular season - competing in the playoffs - maybe participating in international competition in the off-season - being on the court for extended minutes - getting older - incorrect shoe design - can all contribute to a star player's chances of rupturing the Achilles tendon.
Superbly-conditioned athletes can compete at a high level for extended stints, but eventually the body says, "I've had enough". Thankfully, the modern medical staffs and the improved technology usually allow a player with such an injury to come back to action after a year or so. But the surgery, rehab and mental stress can have lasting negative effects.
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