Ben Simmons faces a monumental task to revive his NBA career after another devastating injury setback put his comeback attempt with the Sacramento Kings on hold. The Australian will undergo surgery after scans revealed he tore his right Achilles tendon during a live drill in training, just three days before Sacramento’s season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Kings in a bid to revive his career, but will now miss the entire season. It’s another massive setback for the three-time All-Star, after five years of battling a series of significant injuries and mental health issues.
“I’ve faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I found a way to overcome each one,” Simmons posted in an Instagram Story. “This injury is another chapter in my journey, not the end of my story.
“It’s never easy being away from the game I love, especially after everything it took to get back here. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that adversity doesn’t define you. How you react to it does. I’ve been knocked down before and I’ve always found a way to get back up. This time will be no different.”
Simmons had shown flashes of promise in the preseason, including 26 productive minutes in Sacramento’s loss to San Antonio. This preparation has drawn praise from many NBA big names, including eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard, who predicted a successful return for the Melbourne-born talent. “Ben Simmons is going to have the greatest comeback in NBA history!” Howard posted on X last week.
NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki and Blake Griffin also recently backed three-time All-Star Simmons to replicate some of his best basketball this season. “He’s incredibly talented, he’s a big body and he can defend so many positions,” Griffin said at the Prime launch in New York. “Downhill, he gets to the rim and he’s a great passer. I want to see a great year from him because he’s a special talent and I think the league is better off with a guy like him.”
The latest injury setback continues a tough few years for the former No. 1 overall draft pick, who was named Rookie of the Year and a three-time All-Star before his career was derailed. Simmons rose to prominence with the Philadelphia 76ers, but missed the 2021-22 season due to mental health issues and physical injuries. He sought a trade and landed in Brooklyn, where he spent two and a half injury-riddled seasons, and finished the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Simmons was waived at the end of that campaign and sat out all of last season, leading critics to wonder if he had lost his love for basketball. He denied those claims after signing back with Sacramento and was poised to play a key role for the rebuilding Kings alongside rookie Darius Acuff and fellow veteran Zach LaVine.
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