Jayson Tatum Feared Celtics Could Trade Him, Cried for 2 Hours After Achilles Injury
When Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles during the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, his thoughts immediately spiraled.
The Boston Celtics star knew he had suffered a serious injury, and he thought it could have been the end of his career.
"I literally sat there and cried for two hours 'cause so many things ran through my mind: 'Damn, is my career over? Am I going to get traded? Are all my partners going to drop me?' My basketball career flashed in front of my eyes," he told People's Eileen Finan. "I'm in my prime, one of the best basketball players in the world, and it felt like it was all taken away."
It's understandable that Tatum began wondering about his career after the torn Achilles because, for a long time, it was hard to bounce back from the injury and return to a high level. Fortunately, we've seen a handful of players do so in recent years, including Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant, whom Tatum reached out to for advice on recovering.
Tatum is coming off a season in which he put up 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, earning his fourth consecutive All-NBA First Team nod. The 27-year-old has firmly established himself as one of the best players in the NBA, but he now has a hurdle to overcome after suffering the first major injury of his career.
While he still has a long way to go, it appears Tatum has thrived in his rehab. About a month and a half after the surgery, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told reporters that Tatum had "progressed great" so far.
At the end of July, one NBA scout told Heavy Sports' Steve Bulpett that Tatum looked "way ahead" in his recovery.
"I'm no doctor, but I've seen guys coming back from Achilles' tears, and he looked way ahead," the scout said. "I was kind of shocked to see how well he was moving."
The next step for Tatum is getting to a place where he feels comfortable being on the court, and he said on ESPN's First Take on Tuesday that he could return this season.
"First thing, I haven't said I'm not playing this season," Tatum said.
If he is able to play during the 2025-26 campaign, his return presumably wouldn't come until later in the year. That means Boston will lean heavily on Tatum's co-star, Jaylen Brown, plus role players like Derrick White and new addition Anfernee Simons in the meantime.
