Nuggets’ DaRon Holmes II sends heartfelt message before Achilles surgery

Denver Nuggets rookie DaRon Holmes II underwent surgery on Monday to repair his torn right Achilles tendon sustained in the NBA Summer League, the team announced.

The injury occurred in the fourth quarter on Friday against the LA Clippers after Holmes attempted to defend a pass and landed awkwardly on the court. He was able to hobble off the court under his own power and wouldn’t return to the contest.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Kenneth Hunt at the UCHealth Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Denver. The team will provide updates on his status as appropriate, though the 22nd pick is expected to miss the entire 2024-25 surgery.

Holmes gave an update before his surgery on X, formerly Twitter.

Holmes had turned in a productive debut with the Nuggets prior to the injury, recording 11 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in 25 minutes. He finished by shooting 4-of-8 from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 from 3-point range.

The news of the injury is devastating to Holmes and the team after the 21-year-old established himself as a first-round pick. He was projected to be the backup center for the Nuggets behind Nikola Jokic after a tremendous collegiate career at Dayton.

Holmes was a consensus second-team All-American last season with the Flyers, averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks in 33 games. He was also named the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

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