Jayson Tatum Explains 'Tough Pill To Swallow' About His Injury, Celebrates Milestone

The email from the Boston Celtics hit my inbox at 4:43 p.m., May 13, 2025. 

“Celtics forward Jayson Tatum today underwent successful surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon.”

In the one year, Tatum has accomplished more than any other NBA player who suffered this injury. He has reset the standard for how Achilles tears are treated, and perhaps reset expectations for how athletes recover. We’ve already seen the impact of Tatum’s recovery on Donte DiVincenzo, who had his Achilles repair surgery a day after he suffered the same injury, by the same doctor who operated on Tatum. 

On Tuesday, Tatum tweeted out a very simple reminder of how long it has been since the injury happened. 

“365 days 🙏🏽 “

One question that has popped up recently is why so many players are suffering the Achilles injuries. On the Today Show podcast “Glass Half Full,” Tatum explained his pursuit of that answer. 

“I've asked 1,000 people 100 different questions about how to prevent it. Why? Why does it happen?” he said. “Every specialist I've talked to would say they'd be lying if they could tell you exactly why it happens.”

That mystery only deepened when Tatum asked about his own Achilles injury. What was it about his leg that he, his trainers, or the team doctors missed? 

“I asked the doctor if I got MRI the day before, would you have been able to tell me that I was at risk?” Tatum said. “He was like, ‘honestly, you might not want to hear this, but your tendon looks perfectly healthy. It was just an unlucky moment.’ 

“That was tough to hear because, like, I was doing everything right. I was taking care of my body, I was getting treatment, I was doing all my strength work every game day. I was on top of it. So for him to say ‘your tendon looked perfectly healthy. You just got unlucky.’ That was a tough pill to swallow.”

That was probably the most unsatisfying answer, because anyone in that situation wants to have concrete answers about what happened and how to prevent it in the future. To be told ‘it just happens’ pokes at a player’s armor; it erodes a player’s faith in the process that has always told them that doing the right things for your body is the best way to prevent injuries. 

You can watch the full podcast here: 

Tatum has obviously processed that information well. And while he’d still like to be playing, but he now has a luxury of some time off for the first time in a year. He’s proven what he’s had to prove, and he’s clearly capable of returning to his former self, so a moment to reflect and appreciate where he is and where he’s going is something he’s earned. 

“I think the biggest thing for me is like I'm proud of the fact that I was able to prove to myself that I could play this game at a very, very high level,” he said during his exit interview. “Now, getting an extended period of time to deload and take some time off and come back next season 100%, 110% ready. Get my body right and get my right calf bigger compared to my left one. I'm excited about that."

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