Celtics
Jayson Tatum could potentially miss the entire 2025-26 season as a result of his injury.
Trainers help Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum (0) off the court after he was injured during the second half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks Monday, May 12, 2025, in New York.
Jayson Tatum is looking at a long road back to the parquet. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
By Conor Ryan
May 13, 2025 | 5:00 PM
3 minutes to read
The Celtics’ greatest fears were realized Tuesday afternoon.
Less than 24 hours after their franchise star Jayson Tatum suffered a non-contact foot/ankle injury in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Boston announced that Tatum suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon during Monday’s game against the Knicks.
Tatum underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair the injured tendon, the Celtics said in a press release, with no official timetable given for his return to the court. The team added that Tatum is “expected to make a full recovery.”
Jayson Tatum today underwent successful surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. No timetable is currently available for his return, but he is expected to make a full recovery. Further updates will be provided when appropriate. pic.twitter.com/TTXziFtMQB
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 13, 2025
That injury will not only rule out Tatum for the remainder of Boston’s current playoff run, but also could sideline him for the entire 2025-26 NBA season — potentially shuttering the latest contention window for the defending NBA champions.
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Tatum — who dropped 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals during Boston’s eventual 121-113 loss to New York on Monday — suffered his season-ending injury with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter.
Tatum hit the hardwood at Madison Square Garden after pushing off his right foot while attempting to beat Knicks guard OG Anunoby to a loose ball.
As Anunoby recovered the ball and went up for a dunk down the other end of the court, Tatum writhed in pain on the court while grabbing the back of his right ankle. Tatum eventually made his way off the court with the help of Boston’s training staff, putting no weight on that right leg.
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ESPN cameras later captured a distraught Tatum making his way to the Celtics’ locker room in a wheelchair.
Speaking after Boston’s loss in New York Monday night, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said there is no official update yet on Tatum’s injury.
“It’s a lower-body injury, we’re going to get an MRI [Tuesday]. He’s with the doctors now,” Mazzulla said.
The results of those tests and imaging hold both devastating short and long-term consequences for a Celtics team that was looking to win back-to-back NBA championships this spring.
“I mean, obviously that’s our brother, and you hate to see him go down,” Derrick White said of Tatum. “We just know the type of guy he is, and it’s just tough to see him go down. But obviously, right now, it’s pretty low because of the game, and we just got to find a way to win Game 5.”
Tatum’s injury is a cruel twist of fate, given that the 27-year-old forward has long held court as one of the most durable players in the NBA since turning pro.
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No player in the NBA has played more minutes than Tatum since he entered the league in 2017, and no one is even within 1,500 minutes — close to half a season worth of minutes — of Tatum’s total reps over the course of his career.
While Boston’s title hopes in 2025 are likely dashed with Tatum now out of the equation, the 2025-26 Celtics are now staring at the real possibility that their best player won’t be available all season long — casting further doubt over a roster seemingly destined to be overhauled this offseason.
Then-Warriors superstar forward Kevin Durant suffered a torn Achilles tendon during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, forcing the 30-year-old to miss the entire 2019-20 season before only playing in 35 games during the 2020-21 campaign.
Since the 2021-22 season, Durant has managed to regain his form as one of the premier scorers in the NBA, averaging 36.7 minutes, 28.0 points, and 6.6 rebounds per game over the last four years.
Durant’s recovery from a ruptured achilles tendon — once deemed as a career-ending development for a basketball player — offers hope that Tatum could return to form as a superstar player.
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But that might require at least a year or more of Tatum on the bench as the Celtics attempt to retool their roster without their most valued player.
Do the Celtics stand a chance without Tatum?
Profile image for Conor Ryan
Conor Ryan
Sports Writer
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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