Jayson Tatum Receives Injury Advice From Former Celtics Forward

The Boston Celtics had the worst possible thing happen to them in the second round of the NBA playoffs against the Knicks. Not only did they lose the series, but they lost their best player.

Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in Game 4 of that series, ending his season. Not only did it end his playoffs, but he will also miss most, if not all, of next season due to the injury.

As Tatum attacks his injury rehab with as much ferocity as possible, he received some injury advice from a former teammate who has had to deal with plenty of injuries himself.

Former Celtics forward Grant Williams gave Tatum some advice and talked about it on the Off The Record podcast.

“I told him, ‘Listen, you’re going to be emotional. It’s okay.' It doesn’t make you less of a man to be emotional about it, to acknowledge what you’re going through, freaking sucks. But, at the same time, we both know your work ethic and your progress. You’re going to come back better than you were before. I’m excited to see his journey and his recovery.”

Williams has had to deal with plenty of injuries over the last few years, including the last couple of seasons. This past year, he played in just 16 games for the Hornets.

While Williams has never suffered an injury as serious as the torn Achilles that Tatum suffered, he understands what it feels like to be away from the team because of rehab.

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Tatum tore his Achilles in the prime of his career, so he's hoping that he can come back and be the same player that he was before the injury. His young age certainly should help him in that regard.

Williams' advice probably helped Tatum when it comes to the emotional part of dealing with the injury. Boston will have a few guys who can help replace his production next season.

Next year will likely be a gap year for the Celtics without Tatum playing most of the season. They will have to wait until he comes back in the 2026-27 season to be title contenders again.

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