While the injury shouldn't derail Tatum's career, it does give the Celtics a major obstacle to overcome. Boston has been to the conference finals five times and has had a pair of NBA Finals appearances—including a win last year—since 2017. Much of that success, especially over the past five or so years, has been largely due to Tatum.

Jayson Tatum's torn Achilles tendon, without hyperbole, is among the most consequential injuries in NBA history. Kevin Durant comes to mind as a similarly gifted player to suffer such an injury, but he was almost 31 when he went down in the 2019 NBA Finals.

If one event can dramatically alter even the most sustainable team-building strategy, is it even possible to maintain a championship window?

The end of the Boston Celtics' Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday was devastating. Far worse than going down 3-1 in their second-round series was the fact that Jayson Tatum was lost for the remainder of this run (and likely next season) after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dunks the ball in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

That’s a calmer result than I anticipated! Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles. What now? The big fear for Celtics star Jayson Tatum came true yesterday when it was confirmed he tore his Achilles tendon during Game 4 Monday night.

NBA on TNT provided the broadcast for Wednesday's Game 5 showdown, and Reggie Miller revealed during the contest that he received a text message directly from Tatum.

NBA players who suffered a ruptured Achilles’ tendon between 1970 and 2019 returned to play with varying degrees of success.

The Boston Celtics are in a worst-case scenario. They are down 3-1 to the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA playoffs, and Jayson Tatum is out for t