Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea ruptured his right Achilles tendon in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 11, 2019.
It cost him the rest of the season and sidelined J.J. for nine months. It was Barea’s first major injury in his career. There were questions about his future, though. Barea was 34 years old and Achilles tears are one of the worst injuries for NBA players.
“It’s gut-wrenching for all of us, it’s gut-wrenching for the team, for coaches, for the fans,” Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said just after the injury occurred.