Last season, NBA players missed over 6,000 games due to injury and illness. It’s only the second time since 2005–2006 that so much action has been missed over the course of the season—with the first being the Omicron-ravaged 2021–22 NBA season. The 2025–26 NBA season could be the third. That’s because the number of injury- or illness-related games missed in this young season is piling up fast
Worse, the NBA’s biggest stars are missing games due to injury. So far, we haven’t seen the likes of Jayson Tatum (torn Achilles), Tyrese Haliburton (torn Achilles), Damian Lillard (torn Achilles), Dejounte Murray (torn Achilles), Fred VanVleet (torn ACL), Kyrie Irving (torn ACL), Paul George (knee issues), Darius Garland (toe surgery), and LeBron James (sciatica) in action.
Haliburton, Lillard, and VanVleet have all been ruled out for this season, while Irving is being pegged for a January return and Tatum hoping to play again by April. Garland’s return is yet to be determined, while James might be out another two to three weeks.
More Injuries, More Missed Games in the NBA
While the uptick in major injuries will lead to hundreds of games missed this season, some “lesser” or minor injuries are still causing different players to miss multiple games. And it just seems like every day, there’s an NBA star missing a game due to an ailment or injury.
Among the stars who have been sidelined at one point or another this season are Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks, Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers, and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Doncic, for example, has missed time due to a variety of nagging injuries, the last being a lower left leg contusion. Reaves, meanwhile, was sidelined for two games due to right groin soreness. Antetokounmpo has dealt with left knee issues to start the season, while Edwards had to fight through a hamstring problem. Young (MCL sprain), Mathurin (toe injury), and Nembhard (shoulder issue) might have it worse as they’re expected to miss more games.
If there’s a silver lining to all these early season injuries, it’s that they’re happening in November and not in March or April, when the league is gearing up for the postseason. Nonetheless, it’s still a worrying trend to keep an eye on.
