Jayson Tatum provides encouraging injury update after Achilles scare rattles Celtics fans

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum gave fans a scare when he suffered an injury during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks last month. With a long road ahead of him towards recovery, Tatum provided an update on his progress on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday.

“Day 25… days starting to get a little easier,” Tatum tweeted.

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Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon, and with it, the Celtics' hopes of defending their title were gone. While the C's won Game 5 in his absence, they ultimately fell to the Knicks in Game 6.

The former Duke star underwent surgery for the injury on May 13. His father said he is expected to return in eight to nine months, though recovery times for Achilles ruptures vary.

He reportedly planned to consult Phoenix Suns two-time league champion Kevin Durant about his recovery process. KD suffered a torn Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals.

Jayson Tatum ended the regular season with averages of 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game as the Celtics finished second in the East with a 61-21 record. In the postseason, he averaged 28.1 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 5.4 apg and 2.1 spg.

Celtics coach's injury update on Jayson Tatum

Boston Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell gave an update on Jayson Tatum's injury on a May 21 episode of "The Pat Bev" podcast.

"It’s good, man, when he comes back, he can be even better," Cassell said (Timestamp: 37:09). "He can observe the game of basketball and work on everything he needs to work on. I’m looking forward to the journey with him. Top 5 First-Team All-NBA this year. When he comes back, he’ll be First-Team All-NBA again. He’s that good.”

Tatum came into the 2024/25 season with so much to prove. From being snubbed by Steve Kerr at the Paris Olympics to seeing teammate Jaylen Brown pip him for the ECF and NBA Finals MVPs.

Unluckily for him, his quest for a back-to-back title was cut short by the ACL injury. Boston and its fans will hope for a quick recovery, as they aim to reestablish themselves as the team to beat next season.

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About the author

Ubong Richard Archibong

Ubong Richard Archibong is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over a year's experience in the field with FirstSportz.

Ubong is an LA Lakers fan, and he grew up watching Kobe Bryant taking on everyone with his Mamba mentality. Ubong's love for the Lakers hit another level when his favorite player, LeBron James, joined LA from the Cavs. Other than LeBron, Ubong likes Anthony Edwards, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Phil Jackson.

Beyond the court, Ubong is a traveler at heart and a Chelsea fan, always ready for the thrill and tension they bring. When not working, Ubong likes traveling and volunteering.

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