The NBA rejects the idea that the league’s schedule is at the center of the rise in soft tissue injuries
Saturday in Las Vegas, that seems likely Victor Wembanyama will make his return to the pitch after missing a dozen games due to a calf strain. If it seems like there have been more calf strains — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ty Jerome, Ben Sheppard — that’s because there have been. Tom Haberstroh analyzed the numbers on Yahoo Sports, work with Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes.
In the first 20 games of the 2025-26 season, we’ve seen a substantial increase in calf injuries (excluding contusions caused by blunt objects), according to leading injury expert Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com. This time last season, there were 18 calf injuries after 20 games. This season there have been up to 25 accidents, an increase of almost 40%.
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More significant, however, is the lengthened recovery time for these injuries. According to Stotts’ data, the number of games missed due to calf injuries, out of 20 games played, skyrocketed from 36 to 108. A tripling of last season’s total.
Just over a week ago, The Athletic’s John Holinger (formerly part of Memphis’ front office) asked if the tensions of the NBA Cup schedule had worsened the increase in soft tissue injuries. While this has been a discussed topic in league circles, the item went largely under the radar, until Thursday, when the The NBA released a lengthy statement rejecting the premise of Hollinger’s articlewith the name of NBA spokesman Mike Bass attached.
“John Hollinger’s premise that the NBA Cup has led to a busier schedule resulting in an increase in player injuries is simply not supported by the data. Hollinger questions whether “the league has turned the early-season travel dial a little too high” and posits that teams are facing “an unnaturally heavy schedule cycle.” The reality is that the NBA has played roughly the same number of games in 42 days this season (308) as last season (307).
Furthermore, these numbers are consistent with pre-Cup years (308 games in 2022 and 313 games in 2021). The Cup objectively did not lead to a busier schedule at league level in the first part of the season.
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“Hollinger also claims that the NBA is seeing an ‘increase in soft tissue injuries early in the season’ and that ‘the league continues to get worse at keeping those stars healthy.’ In the first six weeks of the season, the number of injuries forcing star players to miss games is the lowest it has been in six seasons, down more than 25% year-over-year. While several key players have not played this season due to injuries sustained last season, the idea that any increase in missed games this season is tied to the first six weeks of the schedule is patently misleading.”
Hollinger’s response summed up the general reaction to the NBA’s statement: Why did the league release this message in the first place?
The NBA’s point that injuries to stars last season — particularly Achilles injuries to Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton — are part of the numbers problem is correct. However, the league’s statement does not address the facts noted at the beginning of this article, which is that calf injuries – and soft tissue injuries in general – are on the rise. And because of what everyone saw with Tatum and Haliburton, teams are much more cautious about bringing back players with calf and other injuries.
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Injuries are always a part of the NBA season. Now, thanks to improving science and teams’ risk aversion considering nine-figure investments in their biggest stars, teams are willing to keep players out longer and make sure they are fully healed before a player returns. It’s best for the players and the teams, but it means seeing fewer of some stars.