Donte DiVincenzo collapsed on the Target Center court just over a minute into Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets. He launched a three-pointer, the ball careened off the rim, and DiVincenzo planted his back right foot to potentially snag the offensive rebound.
Then, he immediately collapsed.
Jaden McDaniels went to offer him a hand to help him get up, but Donte DiVincenzo waved him off and called for medical attention. The arena fell silent as medical staff attended to DiVincenzo.
Eventually, the crowd started an ear-piercing, “Let’s go, Donte,” followed by a thunderous applause as the medical staff assisted him to his feet. The applause continued as they assisted DiVincenzo to Minnesota’s bench. Eventually, DiVincenzo put weight on his foot and walked off the floor himself with medical staff at his sides.
Hours later, the Wolves reported that DiVincenzo had torn his right Achilles tendon. It will sideline DiVincenzo for 10 to 18 months as he recovers, and comes after he played in all 82 of Minnesota’s regular-season games. While DiVincenzo’s road ahead will be arduous, it isn’t the career-ending injury it once was, thanks to modern medical technology.
The Achilles tendon is a strong piece of connective tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. In fact, it’s the largest tendon in the body. In normal people, it can be between six and ten inches long. Its main purpose is to assist with walking, balance, and foot and ankle movement.
Because of where the Achilles tendon connects to the calf, it’s one of the easiest injuries to detect when it completely ruptures, because the tendon’s force creates a whip effect. That causes the tendon to literally rip the muscles off the bone due to the force of the tendon and the constant pressure it’s under.
Typically, when the injury occurs, you may hear and feel a pop, followed by an immediate sharp pain. Fortunately, adrenaline kicks in, and the immediate pain subsides into a more manageable level. An MRI is still the most reliable way to confirm a tear. Still, a provider can often deduce a tear from a partially disconnected tendon from the calf to the heel and a person’s inability to move their foot in certain ways.
The recovery begins immediately because the swelling from the injury must subside before surgery. The tried-and-true RICE method remains the immediate treatment after a tear: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Some Achilles ruptures are not a complete tear, and those fortunate individuals can avoid surgery by having a cast or brace placed around the ankle.
However, the vast majority of Achilles injuries are completely torn, which requires surgery. The surgery is pretty straightforward. The surgeon makes an incision in the back of the calf, and the tendon is stretched and stitched back together. In the most severe cases where a tendon is not just torn but mutilated, a provider can take pieces of other tendons, synthetic or cadaver tendons, to piece back the Achilles, although that’s significantly less common.
Most Achilles tendon repairs are minimally invasive, but they require smaller incisions. However, the recovery process is longer and more complicated. Most people can recover in 4-6 months and resume normal activities. An athlete like DiVincenzo, who can sometimes take up to a year, as physical therapists slowly increase the work and stress load on the repaired tendon and exercises.
DiVincenzo’s road back to the NBA will be long, marked by progressions and plateaus as he works with therapists to regain his strength and range of motion. In the meantime, DiVincenzo returned to the team to surprise them at shootaround ahead of Game 6 on April 30.
The surprise made an impact on his teammates.
“It’s great, it’s great, man,” said Mike Conley. “He just means so much to our team, just everything he’s given to the team, and him coming back after just having surgery to support us says a lot about who he is. He could be anywhere right now doing other things, and he’s just right back with the team.”
Tonight, the Wolves will focus on beating the Nuggets to advance to the second round of the playoffs. However, Donte DiVincenzo will now begin his rehab, potentially returning towards the end of 2026-27, a date that feels eons away. However, with the surgery completed, the rehab can officially start.
