Tiny Flame Of Joy Extinguished In Sacramento

Where the Sacramento Kings are concerned, all "joy" is relative. But this team, which projects to be among the NBA's worst, enjoyed one charming preseason storyline: the apparent revival of Ben Simmons as an actual rotation player. The basketball gods have chosen to deprive them and their fans of even this meager comfort. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Sunday that Simmons tore his right Achilles tendon during a Kings practice, ending his season before it really began. Simmons, a former All-NBA selection, went completely unsigned during the 2025-26 season. He deliberately distanced himself from basketball during that time, not even watching a game until the playoffs. That distance allowed the 30-year-old to pursue a maritime passion—sport fishing—and also allowed him to rebuild himself into a player good enough to sign the veteran minimum for a team projected by ESPN to win 21.7 games. "I didn't touch a ball for the whole year," Simmons told reporters at Kings media day. "I didn't watch basketball. I just focused on getting my body right and my mind right." Multiple back surgeries had siphoned away his former athleticism. But Simmons observed a "night and day" difference in his mental health, after allowing his back to heal in his year off; affirmed his love of the sport; and, when asked if he could get back to his old self, said: "He's there. He woke up."

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