The Dallas Mavericks are relying on star big man Anthony Davis to carry the load while Kyrie Irving works his way back from an ACL injury.
Unfortunately, Davis hasn’t been known for his durability during his professional career. In four of the last five seasons, he’s played in 56 or fewer games.
In his debut with the Mavericks after being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers last year, Davis suffered an adductor injury that sidelined him for over six weeks. Shortly after his return, he injured his eye against the Atlanta Hawks in an outing where he hit the game-winning shot.
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The eye ailment – a detached retina – required offseason surgery and will force Davis to wear protective goggles for the remainder of his playing days.
Shortly into the 2025 season, Davis is dealing with another injury. On the Mavericks’ updated injury report for the home game against the Indiana Pacers, Davis was listed as probable due to bilateral Achilles tendinopathy.
That sounds frightening, especially when you consider the big words sandwiched around Achilles, which catches your attention immediately. Multiple stars around the league went down with Achilles injuries last season, including Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard.
What exactly does this latest news mean for Davis? We put on our best stethoscopes and white coats to explain more about the injury.
Oct 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) looks to move the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Like any doctor, our research took us straight to the internet.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Achilles Tendinopathy, also known as tendinitis, is an injury to the Achilles tendon, which is a band of tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone.
Symptoms include a mild aching or severe burning in the back of the lower leg following activity. The area is usually tender or stiff, especially in the morning or before exercise. As the injury persists over time, pain can even linger at rest.
Achilles tendinopathy can be caused by overuse. That’s no surprise since the Mavericks are coming off a long offseason, going through a rigorous training camp before jumping right into the regular season. The bilateral portion of the term means that Davis is experiencing the ailment on both legs.
The tendons are used in important aspects of basketball, such as running, jumping, and cutting. It can weaken with age, making it an easy part of the body to injure further. Davis is 32 years old and has been playing professional basketball for 14 seasons.
Achilles tendinitis also weakens the muscle, which can lead to tears or ruptures over time. It’s an injury Dallas will have to manage very carefully. Even if Davis is healthy enough to play, he will need to keep actively rehabbing with stretching and strengthening his calf muscles, along with periods of rest.
Load management is the name of the game in the modern NBA. Davis and the Mavericks must listen to his body and take the necessary steps to prevent further injury, as the next step could be quite serious.
In 2021, Davis dealt with a calf strain and Achilles tendonosis while playing for the Lakers. He re-aggravated the injury in a game against the Denver Nuggets, missing 30 games as a result.
At the time, there was concern Davis had suffered a rupture but an MRI ruled out the worst case scenario.
The Mavericks obviously can’t afford that type of long-term absence. It would probably be best served to sit Davis on back-to-backs from here on out. He played nearly 73 combined minutes on Sunday and Monday.
In four games this season, Davis is averaging 25.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks over 34.8 minutes per contest. He’s shooting 52.1% from the field, 27.3% from three-point range, and 74.2% from the free-throw line.
The Dallas Mavericks return to action against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, October 29. The game will tip-off at 8:30 p.m. ET.
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