The Boston Celtics are in an absolute war right now. They’re scrapping with the New York Knicks, trying to keep their season alive, and they have to do it all without their main guy, Jayson Tatum. That Achilles tear in Game 4? Just a brutal, season-ending gut punch, not just for the Celtics’ title dreams, but for the whole league – losing a star like that right in the heat of the playoffs is rough.
Now, with a do-or-die Game 6 staring them down at Madison Square Garden, every little piece of news about Tatum matters. And ESPN’s Lisa Slater just dropped a big one: Tatum’s out of the hospital. But with that news comes a heavy dose of reality about the tough road, mentally and physically, that he’s facing.
Seeing Tatum go down like that in Game 4 – a non-contact play, a simple push-off, and boom, one of the toughest, most durable dudes in the league is on the floor. It was sickening. The official word came Tuesday: ruptured right Achilles tendon, surgery done, season over. And we’re not just talking this season; that’s a 10-12 month recovery, easy. For a 27-year-old superstar, the man who carries a legendary franchise on his back? It’s just a devastating blow.
However, Lisa Slater’s words gave Celtics fans a little something to hold on to. She said that he actually linked up with his teammates when they got back to NYC for Game 6, since he’s staying at the team hotel. Slater said the players told her “it was great to see him and that Tatum seemed to be in good spirits.”
Coach Joe Mazzulla, as reported by Slater, also felt Tatum “seemed to be doing as well as he can be under the circumstances.” However, Slater’s update also brought the more concerning insight into Tatum’s mental state, the part that truly hits home. Mazzulla shared with her that he’s “sure Tatum is hurting more than he’d ever allow people to see.” That’s the real stuff, right there, the unseen battle that goes beyond the physical. The pain of an Achilles tear is one thing, but that mental grind? Knowing your season’s done, your team’s fighting without you, and you’ve got a monster rehab ahead? That’s a heavy, heavy weight for anyone, even a superstar like Jayson Tatum.
(This is a developing story…)
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