Celtics
"When you see a player like that go down, it’s not good for the game.”
Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum (0) looks to move past New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson (11) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Boston.
Jayson Tatum could miss the entire 2025-26 season. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
By Conor Ryan
May 14, 2025 | 3:14 PM
2 minutes to read
The Boston Celtics and their fans are reeling after Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon on Monday night in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
But the reality of one of the NBA’s brightest starts missing over a year of action in his prime stands as a brutal development for basketball as a whole.
While Knicks star Jalen Brunson and the rest of his teammates will look to eliminate a shorthanded Celtics roster on Wednesday night at TD Garden, the point guard sent plenty of well wishes Tatum’s way on Wednesday morning while also bemoaning his injury.
"The league needs Jayson Tatum. He still has a lot to do in his career, a lot of time to make an impact and make a name for his legacy. What he's done is special."
– Jalen Brunson following Tatum's Achilles injury pic.twitter.com/5MfR1lk6xm
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
“I feel for him. It’s an unfortunate situation for a player like him,” Brunson told reporters ahead of Game 5, per SNY video. “The league needs Jayson Tatum. What he’s been able to do in his career has been remarkable. He still has a lot to do in his career, meaning a lot of time to make an impact and make a name for his legacy. What he’s done is special. So when you see a player like that go down, it’s not good for the game.”
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Tatum, 27, could be sidelined for over a year while recovering from his Achilles injury. After Kevin Durant tore his Achilles on June 10, 2019 in the 2019 NBA Finals, he did not return to the court in a game until Dec. 22, 2020 — only playing 35 games that season after sitting out the entire 2019-20 campaign.
Several NBA stars have been hampered by Achilles injuries this season alone, with Tatum joining an unfortunate grouping that also includes Bucks guard Damian Lillard and Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray.
Speaking to Bill Simmons on “The Zach Lowe Show,” Lowe said that the NBA should consider shortening its 82-game schedule moving forward — especially given that several critical injuries in the postseason have sidelined teams like the Celtics, Warriors, and Cavaliers.
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“The rise of All-Stars getting injured in the playoffs, missing games in the playoffs, it’s Steph [Curry], Tatum, Dame, the Cleveland guys, and it’s been up the last few years and it was part of the conversation at the GM’s meeting yesterday, although it’s not overshadowed by other topics,” Lowe said. “You know, 82 games plus like we’re just going to completely change the rules of the playoffs to allow football basically.
“Plus, the rest gets shorter in the second round than it is in the first round. Plus, the game is just more spaced out, more movement, more cuts, more threes, more everything than it used to be. … “It’s a third rail issue for the players union and the league but it’s time to talk about — is 82 games too many games? We don’t need 82 games other than that’s where they get the pool of money from.”
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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