Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum suffered a torn right Achilles tendon late in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the New York Knicks, a non-contact injury that occurred while chasing a loose ball. Tatum had been delivering a standout performance, scoring 42 points along with eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks before the injury.
Tatum's absence for the rest of the game perhaps cost the Celtics, as they ended up losing 121-113, falling behind 3-1 in the series. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Tatum underwent successful surgery to repair the ruptured Achilles tendon. While the team has not provided a specific timetable for his return, the injury is expected to sideline him for the remainder of the playoffs and potentially into the next season.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0)
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0)
© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
During an appearance on ESPN's "NBA Today," NBA insider Marc J. Spears shared details of an emotional conversation between Tatum and his father following the devastating injury.
According to Spears, Tatum asked his father, "Why me, dad? Why me? Why does this have to happen to me?"
His father reportedly responded, "Son, this is God's will. You're young, you're gonna get through this."
The revelation of this private exchange sparked criticism from fans on social media, who believe it should have been kept between Tatum and his father.
One user commented, "I’m really not ok with the amount of detail they’re sharing about this... give he and his family some privacy."
Another wrote, "These are supposed to be private conversations why are you even reporting this? Corny excuse of journalism!"
A third fan added, "Isn’t this personal? Why we talking about his convos with his dad?"
"And this is the last time a player tells Mr. Spears anything," another fan posted.
"This didn’t need to be reported. Convos like this aren’t for the public," one fan said.
"We don’t have to have a report on everything," another fan mentioned.