The NBA‘s injury crisis continues to get more severe. Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Kyrie Irving are all expected to miss most of the 2025-26 season. LeBron James wasn’t available to start the year, and now Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo are injured too.
There are questions about why superstars are picking up more injuries than ever before. Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr shared his concern about it recently. He identified the problem causing the injuries, and it’s hard to say if that’s something the NBA can change.
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Steve Kerr said he’s “concerned” about the increase in soft tissue injuries across the NBA. His medical staff believes the increased pace paired with the schedule has led to it.
“They believe the wear and tear, the speed, the pace, the mileage is factoring into these injuries.” pic.twitter.com/VABfBFJMcK
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 18, 2025
“I’m very concerned,” Kerr said. “The pace difference is dramatic… Across the league, everybody understands now that it’s just easier to score if you can beat the opponent down the floor, get out in transition. But when everybody’s doing that, the games are much higher-paced, faster-paced.
“Players are running faster and further than ever before, and so we’re trying to do the best we can to protect them, but [we] basically have a game every other night, and it’s not an easy thing to do.”
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Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Playing 82 games in the regular season and then potentially 20 more in the playoffs at this pace is tough. The game has evolved, but it seems that players’ bodies are struggling to keep up with it. If the league’s best continue to get injured often, the situation will need to be addressed.
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