The NBA has seen some of its best players fall to the infamous Achilles tendon tear. In just the span of this year’s NBA playoffs, three more superstars joined the club.
First, it was the Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard in the first round of the playoffs in April. Then, it was Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in May. And most recently, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The recovery from a torn Achilles will likely leave this trio on the sidelines for the entire 2025-26 season, leaving a void in their respective teams’ rosters.
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The Los Angeles Lakers know this feeling all too well when Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant sustained the injury in 2013 against the Golden State Warriors.
Bryant was driving to the basket when he was fouled and ruptured his Achilles.
After tearing his Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter, Bryant got up to make two free throws before exiting the court, which remains one of the most memorable moments in NBA history.
The day before Bryant underwent surgery to repair the tendon, he expressed his frustrations with the injury in a Facebook post. He said he was angry that his training and sacrifice “flew out the window”, which are likely feelings Lillard, Tatum, and Haliburton can relate to now.
After Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles:
— Kobe Bryant Stories & Motivation (@kobehighlight) June 23, 2025
“We don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.” pic.twitter.com/XXobu7a3vt
For Haliburton, he was one win away from his first NBA title and the Pacers’ first championship in franchise history before tearing his Achilles while dribbling the ball.
In the Facebook post, Bryant also opened up about his fear that he would not be able to return to the player he was before the injury.
Bryant ultimately returned in December 2013, eight months after sustaining the injury, which was impressive considering he was 35. He also earned three more All-Star selections after the injury.
Fortunately for Haliburton, he is only 25 so the recovery from his torn Achilles should be smoother than it would be for an older player.
Haliburton is also signed to a five-year, $244.6 million contract with the Pacers, who will be eagerly waiting for his return to the court.
It will be a difficult journey back to health for Haliburton but Bryant left a piece of advice in his Facebook posts that all three injured players could benefit from.
“We don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer,” Bryant wrote.
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