Boston Celtics fans remain hopeful after Jayson Tatum injury leaves him with long road to recovery
Boston Celtics fans remain hopeful for Jayson Tatum after he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in a game against the New York Knicks in the playoffs, leaving him with a lot of recovery ahead.
The heart-wrenching moment seeing Tatum being carried off the court at Madison Square Garden is still fresh in the minds of Celtics fans heading into Game 5 against the Knicks.
"I was devastated. I cried my eyes outs," one Celtics fan said.
Another told WBZ-TV, "Heartbroken. Honestly heartbroken."
Long road to recovery ahead
The superstar forward shared a photo to Instagram fresh out of surgery with a big thumbs up from his hospital bed – ahead of a high stakes game.
"Tendons are tendons," Dr. Laurie Katz of Newton Wellesley Orthopedic Associates said. "They take the same amount of time to heal regardless of how good a shape you're in."
Katz was the team doctor the night the Celtics won the 2008 Championship. She said Tatum has a long road to recovery made even more complicated by the very nature of the sport.
"With the Achilles, especially if you're in a sport that requires explosive type motion," she explained. "You really rely on your Achilles for that force to jump up in the air."
Will likely be training soon post-surgery
Experts don't expect to see Tatum in a Celtics jersey for at least another year, but he likely won't be bedridden for very long.
"We try to get the athletes back as quickly as possible to using the rest of their body," Dan McGinley of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning said.
The facility coaches clients on every level – from high school, professional and Olympic athletes.
"Rather than let his injured limb completely atrophy, train the other leg and get some crossover effect," McGinley said.
And another optimistic look from Celtics fans on the brink of elimination.
"I think Jaylen Brown can hold it down," one fan said.
"There's depth, there's talent on this team and I think we can do it," another one explained.
