Kings guard Ben Simmons tears his Achilles tendon in practice

Ben Simmons tore his right Achilles tendon in practice on Sunday, ending his comeback attempt this season with the Sacramento Kings before the season even started. The Kings said Simmons hurt himself during a live drill and will need to undergo surgery three days before the season opener on Wednesday night on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers. “I’ve faced challenges before that tested me mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I’ve found a way through every single one of them,” Simmons wrote on social media.

“This injury is another chapter in my journey, not the end of my story.” Simmons had signed a one-year deal with Sacramento this summer as he tried to revive his career. The 30-year-old from Australia is a former No. 1 draft pick, three-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year, but he has struggled to perform and stay healthy in recent years.

He sat out last season while dealing with back and leg injuries after ending the 2024-25 season in a reserve role for the Los Angeles Clippers. Simmons was the first overall pick by Philadelphia in 2016 after playing one season in college at LSU. He sat out his first season with an injured foot but quickly developed into a star player for the 76ers once he returned.

He was the Rookie of the Year in 2017-18, was an All-Star the following three seasons, as well as a third-team All-NBA player in 2019-20 and a first-team All-Defense selection in 2019-20 and 2020-21. But his career hasn’t been the same after sitting out the 2021-22 season when he was dealing with mental health concerns, other physical injuries and was seeking a trade out of Philadelphia. He was sent to Brooklyn at the 2022 trade deadline but missed the rest of that season with a bad back.

He then played 2 1/2 seasons with the Brooklyn before getting cut in February 2025. He finished that season with the Los Angeles Clippers before sitting out last season. But he never came close to his level of play early in his career in Philadelphia, averaging 5.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists during his time with the Nets and Clippers.

Sacramento is coming off a 22-60 season and is trying to rebuild around rookie Darius Acuff Jr., who was picked seventh in the draft after a stellar freshman season at Arkansas. ___ See AP’s full NBA coverage here Source