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 Monday 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 Tuesday, the Boston Celtics shared a statement on their 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.
He didn’t apply any pressure to his foot as he was partially carried off the floor. The ESPN broadcast then showed an emotional Tatum in a wheelchair being taken to the locker room as he covered his face with his hands. The Celtics went on to lose the game 121-113, giving the Knicks a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven playoff series.
Tatum isn’t the only NBA star to have their season abruptly cut short during the playoffs due to an Achilles injury. In April, Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard exited his team’s game against the Indiana Pacers early after he attempted to secure a rebound but instead fell on his back and clutched his left foot. He was also helped off the court and taken to the locker room.
On April 28, the Bucks' official X account posted that Lillard tore his left Achilles and would not play the rest of the season.
“Damian Lillard underwent an MRI today that revealed a torn left Achilles tendon. Lillard will miss the remainder of the 2025 playoffs and undergo surgery to repair the injury,” the tweet said.
The same day, Lillard uploaded a series of photos from the playoffs and addressed his injury in the caption. He said, “Appreciate all the prayers and well wishes. This one really hurt… HIS way not MY way.”
Achilles tears occur across professional sports, with NFL player Aaron Rodgers suffering the same injury in 2023. At the time, Dr. John Vasudevan, a sports medicine physician with Penn Medicine, spoke to TODAY.com about how it feels to experience an Achilles tear.
He said that when the tendon is completely torn, it’s “not as painful as you think. ... Patients almost always describe a distinct pop that they can feel and sometimes even hear. What people will describe more often than not is that they feel like someone kicked them really hard in the heel.”
The Achilles tendon refers to thick tissue that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
An Achilles rupture is a common and sudden injury that “occurs when the tendon stretches to its breaking point,” the Cleveland Clinic explains. The recovery time usually takes about four to six months.
