Jayson Tatum reaction speaks volumes as Celtics star spotted for first time after brutal injury

On Tuesday afternoon, the basketball world was hit with devastating news regarding Jayson Tatum. During the Boston Celtics' Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks, the All-Star forward suffered an injury to his Achilles tendon.

This is a huge blow to one of the league's top stars and the reigning champions. As he begins a long road to recovery, Tatum seems to be in good spirits.

Less than 24 hours after his injury news broke, Jayson Tatum took to social media to give an update of his own. He posted a photo of himself fresh out of surgery with his injured right foot heavily bandaged. In the caption, Tatum thanked all of those who have reached out to him following this gut-punching injury.

"Thankful for all the love and support"

Following surgery, Tatum shall begin his journey to slowly getting back to 100% physically. In the meantime, the shorthanded Celtics have to fight to keep their season alive. They are slated to take the court in Game 5 Wednesday night, where they'll attempt to force a Game 6.

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Jalen Brunson has blunt response to Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury

With Jayson Tatum going down to injury, the landscape of the NBA has changed in the short and long term. As the playoffs rage on, one fellow star shared his thoughts on this heartbreaking injury.

Tatum sustained this injury in the fourth quarter of the Celtics' Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks. It was a non-contact situation, as he went down after trying to burst off his right foot. Upon having surgery, Boston now has to prepare for being without Tatum for the foreseeable future.

After shootaround ahead of Game 5, Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson was asked about Tatum going down due to injury. While they were currently rivals in a postseason showdown, he touched on what a big loss this is for the league as a whole.

"The league needs Jayson Tatum," Brunson said.

Down 3-1 without their best player, things are looking bleak for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown will now be tasked with leading the charge for Boston without his longtime running mate beside him.

Seeing that Tatum will be sidelined well into next season, this injury could have major implications on the Celtics overall. Rumors were already starting to surface about changes coming this offseason. Now that Tatum is on a long recovery journey, the front office is highly unlikely to retain its expensive roster.