Ben Simmons, the Sacramento Kings guard, has torn his Achilles tendon and will undergo surgery, the team announced Sunday.
The injury likely ends the season for Simmons, 30, who put together an impressive training camp on short notice for Sacramento. The team said the injury occurred during a live drill at Sunday’s practice.
A short stint in Sacramento
Simmons, a three-time All-Star, agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Kings on Sept. 4. He was healthy at the time of the deal. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound guard impressed Kings general manager Scott Perry when he worked out for Perry in Miami and had an hourlong meeting with him in late August.
Simmons also traveled to Sacramento last month to visit the Kings. He impressed coach Doug Christie and other members of the basketball staff at the team’s practice facility, where he underwent an in-depth medical exam and conducted an on-court workout.
Over the following days, the Kings offered Simmons a contract. They expected him to serve as a backup point guard for rookie Darius Acuff Jr. and to play positions 1 through 5. Sacramento viewed Simmons as a high-upside reclamation project who still has years left in his prospective prime.
Simmons played two preseason games for the Kings and averaged 10.5 points in 17.5 minutes.
Simmons responds
“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 in a statement posted on social media. “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,” Simmons wrote. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that adversity doesn’t define you. How you respond to it does.”