Three days before the season opener, the former No. 1 pick tore his right Achilles in practice and will miss the entire year.
Ben Simmons' latest NBA revival attempt has been cut short before it even started. The Sacramento Kings guard tore his right Achilles tendon during a live drill at practice, and scans confirmed the damage just three days before Sacramento's season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Simmons will undergo surgery and is out for the entire season. The 30-year-old Australian had signed a one-year deal with the Kings, hoping a fresh start in Sacramento would put his career back on track.
The timing makes it even harder to take. The former No. 1 overall pick and three-time All-Star has spent the last five years dealing with a run of serious injuries and mental health struggles. Each time he has tried to rebuild, something has pushed him back.
Now the road back is steeper than ever. An Achilles tear is one of the toughest injuries a basketball player can face, and Simmons will have to rebuild his body and his career once more, with his next opportunity unlikely to come until the following season at the earliest.
For the Kings, the opener arrives without a player they had hoped would add playmaking and size to the rotation. For Simmons, the focus shifts from comeback to recovery.
