Jayson Tatum understandably had plenty of emotions after suffering a season-ending torn Achilles on Monday.
On NBA Today, ESPN's Marc J. Spears detailed the emotional phone call between Tatum and his father after the injury.
"Jayson ended up giving him a call once he was able to," Spears said. "They cried on the phone together, and Jayson was asking him, 'Why me dad? Why me? Why does this have to happen to me?'"
Tatum has a long recovery ahead of him for the first time in his career. The six-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA First Teamer has been one of the most durable stars in the league since he was drafted, playing the most regular-season and playoff games of any player since joining the league in 2017.
He's played 72 or more regular-season games in each of the last four years and has never played fewer than 64 regular-season games. Unfortunately, his streak of healthy seasons has come to an end.
While he could come back sooner or have his recovery delayed further, Tatum's father told Spears that he expects Tatum to be out eight to nine months.
The good news for Tatum is that he's still just 27 years old, and the torn Achilles could end up being a minor setback in what will otherwise be an outstanding career. Even if he's unable to play at all during the 2025-26 season, he could return to playing at an All-NBA level the following year.
While the injury shouldn't derail Tatum's career, it does give the Celtics a major obstacle to overcome. Boston has been to the conference finals five times and has had a pair of NBA Finals appearances -- including a win last year -- since 2017. Much of that success, especially over the past five or so years, has been largely due to Tatum.
The Celtics will undoubtedly take a step back with Tatum out for an extended period, but how big of a step back is the question.
For now, Boston will try to overcome a 3-1 deficit against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while Tatum will hit the ground running in his rehabilitation.