A record-setting seven NBA players remain out with Achilles tears from last season, including four All-Stars whose teams will pay a collective $200 million this season. The unprecedented injury wave has prompted urgent league-wide concern among medical experts and front offices.

Dr. Richard Ferkel, a leading orthopedic surgeon and NBA medical consultant, confirmed the gravity of the situation.

"The NBA is very concerned," Ferkel said, "as are all doctors."

Calf strain incidents have surged nearly 40% through the first 20 games of the 2025-26 season compared to last year, according to injury expert Jeff Stotts. More alarmingly, games lost to calf injuries have tripled from 36 to 108 during the same period.

Star players Dejounte Murray, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton remain sidelined with Achilles tears. Three additional players are also recovering from the devastating injury with unclear return timelines.

Medical professionals point to Stephen Curry's transformative impact on offensive movement patterns as a contributing factor. The proliferation of stepback and side-step 3-pointers has fundamentally altered how players stress their lower legs.

"The game has definitely changed," said Dr. Scott Ellis of the Hospital of Special Surgery. "I'm a Steph Curry fan, but I think he changed the game."

In 2013-14, Curry led the league with 69 stepback 3-pointers. By 2018-19, James Harden registered 613 such attempts, representing a tenfold increase in just five years.

The NBA assembled a medical committee this summer staffed by leading surgeons and researchers to study the lower leg injury epidemic. Teams have responded by implementing significantly longer recovery protocols for calf strains.

"There is a concern that calf injuries can lead to Achilles injuries, and that this is all due to incomplete rehab in the calf and favoring one leg over the other," Ferkel said. "Teams are being much more conservative in returning players back from calf injuries."

Ferkel noted that while Achilles injuries appear down this season, calf strains have increased considerably. The heightened speed of play and additional back-to-back games to accommodate the Emirates-sponsored in-season tournament have complicated recovery efforts.