Here’s Why People Think Number 0 is Cursed in the NBA Now

The hardwood has always been a stage where superstition and reality dance together like shadows in candlelight. In the 2025 NBA playoffs, however, a pattern emerged that sent chills down the spines of even the most rational basketball observers. This has the sports world asking a question that most would have once considered a non topic.

Is the Number 0 Cursed in the NBA?

Three of the league’s brightest stars—Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, and Tyrese Haliburton—all suffered devastating Achilles injuries during the postseason. What makes this medical tragedy particularly eerie is that all three players wore the same jersey number: zero.

Like dominoes falling in perfect sequence, each injury struck with surgical precision. First came Lillard on April 27, 2025, during Game 4 of the Milwaukee Bucks’ first-round series against the Indiana Pacers.

The veteran guard, who had been battling through a previous blood clot issue, collapsed in a non-contact injury that would end his playoff run and cast doubt on his entire 2025-26 season.

Next was Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics’ cornerstone, who suffered his season-ending Achilles rupture on May 12, 2025, during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.

Finally, in the most heartbreaking moment of all, Tyrese Haliburton went down during Game 7 of the NBA Finals on June 22, 2025, with just 4:55 remaining in the first quarter.

The mathematical improbability of this occurrence is staggering.

Historical data shows that between 1990 and 2023, only 45 NBA players suffered Achilles tears, averaging 1.36 injuries per season. To have three such injuries occur in a single postseason—all affecting All-Star caliber players wearing the same jersey number—defies conventional statistical explanation.

It’s like lightning striking the same tree three times in one storm, each bolt more devastating than the last.

What transforms this from mere coincidence into cultural phenomenon is the immediate reaction from fans, players, and media alike.

Social media exploded with theories about the “Number 0 Curse,” with hashtags like #0IsCursed trending within minutes of Haliburton’s injury.

The basketball community found itself grappling with questions that seemed to blur the line between sports medicine and supernatural folklore.

Injury Timeline Visualization

The Rise of Zero: From Outcast to Icon

To understand the perceived curse, one must first appreciate how jersey number zero evolved from basketball’s ugly duckling into its most coveted swan.

The number zero was once basketball’s pariah, a mathematical concept that seemed to mock the very essence of scoring and achievement.

Early NBA players avoided it like a haunted house, preferring numbers that carried weight and tradition.

The transformation began with pioneers like Orlando Woolridge in the early 1990s, who first dared to embrace the void. But it was Gilbert Arenas who truly weaponized zero, turning it into “Agent Zero” and making it synonymous with fearless confidence and explosive scoring.

Arenas understood that zero could represent infinite potential—a blank canvas upon which greatness could be painted. His philosophy was simple: if you’re wearing zero, you have nowhere to go but up.

The symbolism resonated deeply with a new generation of players who saw zero not as emptiness, but as possibility. Russell Westbrook chose zero because it represented the number of people who could guard him.

Kyle Kuzma selected it to “start from zero” when entering the NBA. These interpretations transformed zero from a numerical afterthought into a badge of honor, worn by those who dared to be different.

By 2025, the number had reached unprecedented popularity.

Twenty-seven players wore zero during the 2024-25 season, making it the second-most popular jersey number in the league after number 5. This surge represents more than fashion—it reflects a fundamental shift in how modern athletes view identity and self-expression.

The zero had become basketball’s equivalent of a phoenix, rising from mathematical obscurity to cultural dominance.

Number 0 Popularity Surge in the NBA

The numbers in the chart below represent the amount of NBA players who were wearing the Number 0 during each respective time period listed.

The Medical Reality Behind the Mythology

While fans debate curses and cosmic conspiracies, medical professionals offer a more sobering perspective on the Achilles epidemic that plagued the 2025 playoffs.

The human Achilles tendon, despite its mythological associations with invincibility, is actually one of the most vulnerable structures in the athletic body.

It’s like a high-performance sports car engine—incredibly powerful when functioning properly, but catastrophic when it fails.

Dr. Chris Raynor, an orthopedic surgeon who analyzed the 2025 playoff injuries, pointed to several contributing factors beyond supernatural intervention.

The modern NBA places unprecedented demands on players’ bodies, with stars routinely logging over 40 minutes per game during high-intensity playoff situations.

This workload is comparable to asking a marathon runner to sprint the entire 26.2 miles—the human body simply isn’t designed for such sustained extreme performance.

The three injured players shared more than just a jersey number; they also shared similar physical circumstances. Haliburton had been battling a calf strain for several games leading up to his injury, a condition that significantly increases Achilles rupture risk.

Lillard was recovering from a blood clot issue and hadn’t played competitive basketball for an extended period before his injury.

Tatum was carrying the enormous physical and mental burden of leading a championship defense along with Jaylen Brown. These factors created a perfect storm of vulnerability that had nothing to do with numerical superstition.

Recovery statistics paint an even grimmer picture of the medical reality these players face. Research shows that only 78% of NBA players return to play after Achilles injuries, and among those who do return, performance typically declines by 15-30%.

The average recovery time ranges from 9-12 months, meaning all three players face uncertain timelines for the 2025-26 season.

It’s like trying to rebuild a demolished bridge while cars are still waiting to cross—the pressure is immense and the margin for error is virtually nonexistent.

If there is any silver lining for Tyrese Haliburton, it would be that it appears he tore his Achilles in his non dominant leg. Both Kevin Durant and Dominque Wilkins made full recoveries from Achilles ruptures in their non dominant legs.

Fan Reactions and Social Media Hysteria

The digital age has transformed how sports superstitions spread, turning social media platforms into modern-day campfires where basketball folklore burns bright.

Within hours of Haliburton’s injury, Twitter became a cauldron of conspiracy theories, with fans dissecting every aspect of the “Number 0 Curse” like detectives at a crime scene.

The hashtag #0IsCursed trended globally, accumulating thousands of posts from fans who couldn’t shake the feeling that something supernatural was at work.

The reactions ranged from genuine concern to apocalyptic panic. One fan wrote on Reddit, “The number zero is cursed. Not ‘kind of unlucky.’ Not ‘eh, quirky stat.’ I’m talking full-blown Book of Revelations, ancient tomb… type of CURSE”.

Another declared, “We gotta rerank worst Greek gods of all time because Achilles’ legacy ain’t good in the modern era”. These responses reveal how modern fans process trauma through the lens of mythology and superstition, seeking patterns and meaning in what might simply be tragic coincidence.

The intensity of fan reactions reflects basketball’s unique position in American sports culture, where individual players carry enormous emotional weight for entire communities.

Unlike football, where helmets obscure identity, or baseball, where action is episodic, basketball creates intimate connections between fans and players.

When three beloved stars fall in rapid succession, it feels less like random medical events and more like targeted strikes against the sport’s very soul.

Social media algorithms amplified these concerns, creating echo chambers where speculation flourished unchecked. Fans began analyzing everything from shoe brands to pregame routines, searching for additional connections that might explain the pattern.

Some pointed to the popularity of low-top basketball shoes among modern players, theorizing that reduced ankle support might contribute to Achilles stress.

Others examined the players’ training regimens, looking for common threads that might explain their collective vulnerability. The search for answers became almost obsessive, as if solving the mystery might prevent future tragedies.

The Three Stages of Social Media Reactions to Consecutive Achilles Injuries

The Psychology of Athletic Superstition

Athletic superstition operates like a psychological security blanket, providing comfort and perceived control in environments where uncertainty reigns supreme.

Basketball players, perhaps more than athletes in any other major sport, are particularly susceptible to superstitious thinking because of the sport’s inherent unpredictability.

A shooter can make ten consecutive three-pointers and then miss the next ten with identical form—this randomness creates fertile ground for magical thinking.

The number zero carries unique psychological weight because of its fundamental contradiction. Mathematically, zero represents nothing, yet in basketball scoring, it represents unlimited potential.

This duality creates cognitive tension that the human brain struggles to resolve, leading some players and fans to assign supernatural properties to the number. It’s like staring into an optical illusion—the longer you look, the more convinced you become that something impossible is actually happening.

Research in sports psychology reveals that superstitions often emerge during times of high stress and uncertainty, serving as coping mechanisms that help athletes manage anxiety.

When faced with the enormous pressure of professional competition, players gravitate toward rituals and beliefs that provide psychological comfort, even if they know rationally that these behaviors have no actual impact on performance.

The belief itself becomes the power, creating a placebo effect that can genuinely influence confidence and execution.

The Number 0 Curse phenomenon represents a collective version of individual superstition, where an entire community adopts magical thinking to process trauma.

When fans witness their heroes falling in patterns that seem too precise to be random, they seek explanations that provide meaning and, potentially, prevention.

It’s easier to believe in a curse that can be broken than to accept that sometimes terrible things happen without reason or warning. This psychological need for control and explanation drives the fervor surrounding the alleged curse, transforming medical statistics into mythological narrative.

Current Players in the Crosshairs

The specter of the Number 0 Curse now looms over every NBA player who dares to wear the allegedly haunted digit. Christian Braun of the Denver Nuggets, who helped his team win the 2023 NBA championship while wearing zero, finds himself at the center of unwanted attention.

Fans have already begun speculating about his vulnerability, despite his young age and excellent health record. It’s like being marked by an invisible target that only superstitious observers can see, creating pressure that has nothing to do with basketball skill.

Malik Monk of the Sacramento Kings represents another high-profile player caught in the crosshairs of curse believers. The explosive guard has worn zero throughout his NBA career, establishing it as part of his basketball identity.

Now, social media users regularly tag him in posts about the curse, creating a constant reminder of the alleged danger he faces. The psychological burden of such attention can be significant, even for players who don’t believe in superstitions.

Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets provides an interesting case study in how players might respond to curse speculation.

The versatile forward has established himself as a key player while wearing zero, but fan concerns about his safety have become increasingly vocal. Some Hornets fans have created social media campaigns urging him to change numbers, treating his jersey selection like a public safety issue rather than a personal preference.

The intensity of these campaigns reveals how deeply the curse narrative has penetrated basketball culture.

The situation becomes even more complex for younger players like Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic and Ryan Dunn of the Phoenix Suns, who are just beginning their NBA careers while wearing zero.

These players must navigate not only the typical pressures of professional basketball but also the added psychological weight of curse speculation.

It’s like trying to learn to drive while passengers constantly warn about imaginary hazards—the fear itself becomes a distraction that can impact performance. The challenge for these players lies in maintaining focus on basketball fundamentals while ignoring the supernatural static that surrounds their jersey choice.

Historical Perspective on Sports Curses

Sports history is littered with alleged curses that captured public imagination before eventually fading into footnote status, much like yesterday’s newspaper headlines.

The “Curse of the Bambino” supposedly plagued the Boston Red Sox for 86 years after trading Babe Ruth, yet statistical analysis revealed that the team’s struggles had more to do with poor management decisions than supernatural intervention.

Similarly, the “Curse of the Billy Goat” allegedly prevented the Chicago Cubs from winning a championship for 108 years, but modern analytics show that organizational incompetence was a far better predictor of failure than mythical hexes.

Basketball has had its own share of supernatural speculation over the decades, though none have achieved the viral intensity of the Number 0 Curse.

The perception of curses often correlates with media coverage and social media amplification rather than actual statistical anomalies.

In the pre-internet era, patterns like the 2025 Achilles injuries might have been noted by a few journalists and quickly forgotten, but modern digital platforms can transform any coincidence into a cultural phenomenon within hours.

The persistence of curse narratives reveals something fundamental about human psychology and our relationship with randomness.

People are naturally pattern-seeking creatures who struggle to accept that sometimes terrible things happen without deeper meaning or purpose.

When faced with statistical anomalies that cause emotional pain, it’s psychologically easier to blame supernatural forces than to acknowledge the chaotic nature of reality. Curses provide a sense of control—if you can identify the source of bad luck, perhaps you can also neutralize it.

What makes the Number 0 Curse particularly compelling is its specificity and recent timing. Unlike historical curses that developed over decades or centuries, this one emerged fully formed in a matter of weeks, supported by clear visual evidence and modern medical documentation.

The immediacy and precision of the pattern make it harder to dismiss than vague historical narratives about generational bad luck. However, history suggests that even the most convincing curse narratives eventually succumb to statistical reality and the passage of time.

The Business and Cultural Impact

The Number 0 Curse has created unexpected ripple effects throughout the NBA’s commercial ecosystem, demonstrating how superstition can translate into real economic consequences. Jersey sales data shows that number zero merchandise has experienced both surge demand from collectors seeking “cursed” memorabilia and sharp declines from fans who now view the number as unlucky.

It’s like watching a stock market driven by ghosts instead of fundamentals—irrational fear and fascination create volatile demand patterns that defy traditional business logic.

Some people even believe that franchise front offices have quietly begun discussions about whether to discourage new players from selecting zero, not because they believe in curses, but because they want to avoid the media distraction and fan anxiety that now accompanies the number.

The psychological impact on team chemistry becomes a legitimate business concern when superstition affects public perception and player confidence.

If you were an NBA player wouldn’t you be scared to wear 0 now, considering you would have constantly wonder if you would be next to tear your Achilles?

Whether the Number 0 Curse proves to be a temporary cultural phenomenon or a lasting piece of basketball folklore will depend largely on future injury patterns and the NBA’s response to the underlying medical issues.

What remains certain is that three exceptional athletes faced career-altering injuries during what should have been the pinnacle of their professional lives, and their recovery journeys are going be tough, but hopefully they come out on the other side even better players than they were before.