NBA Deploys AI to Tackle Injury Risk and Enhance Player Health

The NBA is intensifying its use of artificial intelligence in player health and performance as it looks to combat a recent spike in Achilles tendon injuries. Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the league is actively developing a centralised AI-driven system designed to monitor and mitigate injury risks, starting with one of the most serious and disruptive injuries in the sport.

The initiative comes in response to what Silver described as a “concerning” increase in Achilles ruptures among star players during the 2023–24 season, citing the injury as “one of the most difficult to come back from in basketball.” The league is now looking to implement technology capable of identifying biomechanical warning signs before injuries occur, marking a significant shift toward predictive and preventive healthcare for elite athletes.

While specific software or technology providers have yet to be named, Silver outlined a multi-layered plan that includes aggregating data from team medical staff, video footage, wearables and player performance records into a central league-wide repository. The AI model will then analyse this data to flag players at elevated risk, providing medical teams with the insights needed to modify training loads, rest schedules or rehabilitation protocols.

The rollout is part of the NBA’s broader commitment to innovation in athlete welfare. Silver noted that the success of this AI-led approach could open the door to wider applications across other high-risk injuries, such as ACL tears, hamstring strains and general overuse issues.

Notably, Silver emphasised that players’ unions and team medical departments will be fully integrated into the system’s design to ensure transparency, privacy and trust. The league is also exploring the role of AI in venue monitoring, including court surfaces and travel fatigue, as part of a broader strategy to reduce external risk factors.

The commissioner did not set a public timeline for full deployment but confirmed that pilot testing is already underway and receiving support from teams across the league.

As professional sports grapple with increasingly congested calendars, player welfare has moved to the top of the NBA’s agenda. If successful, the AI system could mark a watershed moment in how elite leagues approach injury prevention, shifting from reactive medical care to real-time predictive risk modelling at scale.