Jayson Tatum is speaking out after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury during the Celtics’ recent playoff game against the New York Knicks.
The Boston Celtics’ star forward attempted to will his team to victory and tie the series during a matchup with the Knicks on May 12 at Madison Square Garden arena in New York City. But in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Tatum fell to the ground in pain and had to be helped off the court.
On May 13, the Boston Celtics shared a statement on its official X account confirming that the 27-year-old athlete tore his Achilles.
“Jayson Tatum today underwent successful surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon,” the team said. “No timetable is currently available for his return, but he is expected to make a full recovery.”
The next day, Tatum shared a photo from his hospital bed on Instagram and included an encouraging message. In the snap, he smiled and gave a thumbs up. His injured foot was propped up on a pillow.
“Thankful for all the love and support,” he wrote in the caption May 14 and included a prayer-hand emoji.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry commented, “Get right big fella!” with a raising hands emoji.
Warriors teammate Draymond Green also left a supportive message. “As the story is told, it gets greater and greater brother! The bounce back will be more than amazing my dawg!” he said and added two prayer-hand emoji.
The Celtics Instagram account said, “We love you JT” and included a green heart.
The team also uploaded Tatum’s picture to X and tweeted, “The comeback will be greater than the setback.”
Tatum, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and NBA champion, scored 42 points in the close Game 4 showdown with the Knicks and hoped to add more with three minutes left in the game. But after lunging for the ball, he suddenly grabbed his right leg and writhed in pain before calling for a timeout.
