The Basketball Doctors

The Basketball Doctors USC-trained Doctors of Physical Therapy specializing in elite basketball performance & ACL recovery. 🏀 Helping you get back to 100%

08/27/2026

The bounce back is real. 🚀 Returning to the court after Achilles tendon surgery means rebuilding explosive power and trusting your body again.
Here is an inside look at a rehab session designed to get you game-ready.
Low-Level Plyos: Quick ground contact time to wake up the stretch-shortening cycle.
Euro Step Approach Jumps: Translating rehab into real basketball mechanics by pushing off the repaired leg with purpose.
Med Ball Power Throws: Forcing full extension and challenging the leg to generate immediate force.
Box Drop-Offs: Rebuilding confidence in absorbing impact and instantly pushing off.
Calf Strength & BFR: Loading the top of the range with a kettlebell and finishing with Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training to maximize muscle growth without overloading the joint.
You can’t skip steps if you want to get back to playing at a high level. Who else is grinding through an Achilles rehab right now? Drop a 🏀 in the comments or let us know what part of your recovery you need help with!

08/25/2026

ACL Rehab
How to jmprove your quad activation after ACL surgery!
What are the big things is making sure you get your knee fully straight because if your knee is not fully straight, then it’s an imperative ability to activate your quadriceps muscle.
If you are having issues with your ACL rehab let us know in the comments below!

08/25/2026

Shaedon Sharpe is out for 6 months with a meniscus tear. 📉 Here is the anatomical breakdown of why his recovery timeline points to a Meniscus Repair rather than a removal.
While the 6-month rehab process is a longer road, preserving that knee cushion is the absolute best play for his long-term career and explosive bounce.
Drop your questions about meniscus injuries in the comments! ⬇️

08/24/2026

If you're finding it impossible to bend your knee all the way, a tight re**us femoris muscle might be the culprit. In this video, we break down a passive contract-relax technique that helps trick your brain into allowing a deeper stretch.
🔥 How to do it:
Lay on your stomach and loop a strength band around the ankle of your surgical leg.
Pull the band to bring your heel toward your glutes until you feel a deep stretch, holding for 5 seconds.
Contract the muscle by kicking up against the band's resistance for 5 seconds.
Slowly release and pull the band even further to increase the stretch!
This is one of our favorite ways to get those final bits of flexion so you can comfortably sit on your heels again.
Have any questions about your ACL rehab or struggling with knee bending? Drop them in the comments below! 👇

08/20/2026

WNBA Injury Alert
Olivia Miles
Ankle sprain
How long will she be out for?
It looks like it’s a grade 1 ankle sprain in which she stepped on her teammates foot!

08/19/2026

Return to Basketball After ACL Surgery: Fixing Your Jump Shot Balance 🏀
Struggling to find your rhythm and balance on your jumper post-op? You’re not alone!
One of the most common things that happens after an ACL reconstruction is drifting to one side when you go into your shooting motion. When you lack stability, you add unwanted variance to your shot.
Here is Part 1 of our single-leg series to help you rebuild that stability and stop the drift:
The Single-Leg Snap Down & Shoot
1️⃣ Snap Down: Drop into a single-leg stance.
2️⃣ Find Stability: Gain your balance and rhythm. (Cheat code: use a quick toe-tap on the ground if you feel yourself falling off to the side!)
3️⃣ Shoot: Go straight up into your shooting pocket, finishing tall and balanced.
Make sure you run through this on both the right and left sides so you aren’t compensating.
👇 Try this out during your next session and let us know what you think! Drop a comment if you’re ready for Part 2!

08/18/2026

The hardest part about returning to the court after ACL surgery? It’s not always the jumping—it’s the stopping. 🛑
When you’re stepping back into basketball, mastering deceleration is crucial, especially for moves like the jab step. In this video, we’re breaking down how to safely overload that decelerating leg using a cable machine (or bands!) to build up strength and, more importantly, confidence.
By pulling you forward into the lunge, this setup forces your brain and body to hit the brakes, control the momentum, and push off with power.
👇 Drop a 🏀 in the comments if you’re currently working through your return-to-play protocol, or let us know what the hardest part of your rehab has been!

08/16/2026

Returning to the court after an ACL tear? The hardest part isn't always what you think. ⬇️
When returning to basketball, one of the toughest challenges is deceleration—especially when hitting that classic jab step and getting the knee over the toes.
In this drill, we’re using a forward-pulling cable (or looped resistance bands) to safely overload that leg. By forcing your body to brake, decelerate, and control the forward momentum before pushing off, you rebuild the vital strength and confidence needed to stop on a dime. 🛑💨
Pro Tip: Add a slight rotation to fire up those glutes even more!
👇 Drop a comment below if you're having trouble returning to basketball after ACL surgery!
Make sure to follow The Basketball Doctors for more daily athletic performance and physical therapy tips to keep you on the court.

08/14/2026

If you sprained your ankle, don’t just do single leg balance exercises. You need to add some kind of challenging factor to train the brain which will train your ankle.

08/12/2026

Working back to the court after Achilles surgery? Getting back to 100% requires more than basic calf raises—you need explosive stiffness, triple extension, and power transfer. 🏀👇
Here’s a look at a full return-to-play progression for our basketball athletes:
1️⃣ Multidirectional Hops + Med Ball Throws: Keeping the heel off the ground and driving off the big toe to build tendon stiffness.
2️⃣ Hex Bar Explosive Pulls: Speed and power focus—forcing complete extension through the toes.
3️⃣ Single-Leg Plyometrics: Bounds into vertical jumps and scissor jump snap-downs to prep for landing forces.
4️⃣ Posterior Chain Strength: Target the glutes and hamstrings to relieve strain on the lower leg during movement.
5️⃣ BFR Calf Burnout & Reformer Work: Blood flow restriction training to maximize hypertrophy and endurance without overloading joints.
💬 Where are you currently at in your Achilles rehab? Drop a comment below if you’re struggling with any stage!

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