NBA commissioner Adam Silver plans to use cutting-edge technology to combat the recent rise in Achilles injuries.
“I’m hopeful that by looking at more data, by looking at patterns this is one area where AI — people are talking about how that’s going to transform so many areas — the ability with AI to ingest all video of every game a player’s played in to see if you can detect some pattern that we didn’t realize leads to an Achilles injury,” Silver told ESPN’s Malika Andrews during the 2025 NBA Draft Wednesday (h/t Awful Announcing). “We’re taking it very seriously.”
AI is already used in team and individual sports to help prevent injuries.
Per a study published in the National Library of Medicine in November 2024, “In team sports like football and basketball, AI models have been used to predict muscle injuries and manage workloads.”
Predicting muscle injuries could be crucial for the NBA, especially when assessing the risk for potential Achilles injury.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was one of seven players to suffer an Achilles rupture this season. Before tearing it in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he dealt with a nagging right calf strain throughout the series, which possibly contributed to the injury.
More data may have helped the Pacers determine whether the calf injury was putting him at risk and how to manage Haliburton’s playing time.
Along with using AI, Silver is seeking help from medical experts.
“We are looking at it, and in fact, we had already convened a panel of experts before Tyrese’s most recent Achilles rupture,” Silver said. “We had seven this year, we had zero last year under the same exact circumstances. The most we ever had in a season is four.”
With the combined efforts of AI and doctors, the NBA may discover what’s causing these injuries and find ways to prevent them.
