It was an emotional end to the Boston Celtics' 2024-25 season after superstar forward Jayson Tatum went down, grabbing his ankle in the NBA Playoffs last season. He would later find out that it was a torn Achilles tendon.
This injury destroyed hopes for the Celtics winning back-to-back NBA championships and sparked a long recovery process for the superstar.
Now, just a few months out of the injury that required surgery to repair, Tatum was able to tell the public what it was like suffering his first season-ending injury of his career.
Jayson Tatum: 'It felt like it was all taken away.'
There's still uncertainty if the Celtics' franchise player will be able to return for the upcoming 2025-26 season, but Boston will make sure Jayson Tatum is back to 100% health before making any announcements.
Tatum spoke with Eileen Finan of People.com recently, reflecting on the moments after suffering the major injury.
"I literally sat there and cried for two hours 'cause so many things ran through my mind: 'Damn, is my career over? Am I going to get traded? Are all my partners going to drop me?' My basketball career flashed in front of my eyes. I’m in my prime, one of the best basketball players in the world, and it felt like it was all taken away." Tatum said.
The Celtics superstar also gave high hopes to Boston fans in a possible return this season, saying, "But I'm also not ruling out that I'm not playing this season."
It will be a tough task for the Celtics to perform like the championship-contending team they have been since Jayson Tatum was drafted with the No. 3 pick in 2017.
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