Four Worst Injuries in Boston Celtics History

The Boston Celtics are the most successful team in NBA history, having won 18 championship titles. At the same time, they have been one of the unluckiest teams. While injuries are part of the game, the Boston Celtics have suffered too many setbacks in their history. All of the injuries on this list have completely changed the fortune of the franchise. Let’s take a look.

Four Worst Injuries in Boston Celtics History

Following Jayson Tatum’s injury, we are looking at some other devastating moments in Boston Celtics history.

Rajon Rondo’s ACL Injury 2013

Rajon Rondo was blossoming into one of the best point guards in the league, ready to help the Celtics bridge the gap between Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce and their new youth players. At the time of the injury, Rondo was a four-time All-Star player. He tore his ACL mid-season and wasn’t the same. In the playoffs, the Celtics looked washed, and Danny Ainge pulled off the infamous Nets trade.

The good news for the Celtics is that with that trade, Boston completely rebuilt their core with Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Rondo, however, would wind up on several teams before winning another championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Gordon Hayward’s Leg Injury

Five minutes into his Celtics debut in October 2017, Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome injury. He went for an alley-oop but collided with LeBron James, landing awkwardly, and fracturing his left tibia and dislocating his ankle.

That moment was so horrifying that broadcasters fell silent and players looked away in shock. For the Celtics, it meant that their idea of pairing Hayward and Kyrie Irving to compete fell apart. On the flip side, without Hayward, Tatum and Brown got much more playing time and developed into the stars they are today.

Kevin Garnett’s Knee Injury

The Celtics traded for Garnett and Ray Allen in the summer of 2007 and won a championship in 2008. Following their championship, they played even better and raced to a 27-2 start. They looked like a team primed to repeat as champions, but then Garnett strained his knee in February, and re-aggravated it in late March. Medical exams showed he had been playing through bone spurs and had damaged his tendon.

KG sat out the rest of the season, ending the chances of a repeat. He underwent surgery in the offseason, but was never quite the same. The Celtics made another run in 2010, but lost in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. Some fans believe that with a healthy Garnett, the Celtics would certainly repeat, and might challenge a three-peat. But that Celtics dynasty never took off after their lone championship.

Jayson Tatum’s Torn Achilles

Jayson Tatum’s injury has the potential to make the franchise retool. The young superstar is entering his prime, but the Celtics were built to compete for a championship in the next two years.

Without Tatum for probably all of next season, they cannot compete for a title. That might mean trading some of their core guys to ease up on the tax penalties. The Celtics are a repeater tax team over the second apron, meaning they might need to pay millions in penalties if they keep the team for next season.