Jayson Tatum likely to reach out to Kevin Durant for Achilles rehab advice after devastating injury, per NBA insider

Jayson Tatum has undergone a successful surgery and is expected to reach out to Kevin Durant for recovery advice. Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against the New York Knicks on Monday. It was a massive blow to the Boston Celtics as they lost their best player in a crucial series wherein they were trailing against the Knicks.

While it's sad that the Celtics couldn't defend their title this season, NBA insider Shams Charania came with good news as Tatum was released from the hospital earlier this week. JT will now undergo his recovery phase; however, there is no clear timeline on when he could make his return to the hardwood.

Kevin Durant, who once tore his Achilles, overcame the injury in 18 months. Having that in mind, Charania reported that Jayson Tatum is likely going to format his recovery process according to how Durant did it.

"I'm told that the expectation around (Jayson) Tatum is that he will consult with Kevin Durant about that rehab that (KD) had several years ago and that's gonna be used as a template," Charania reported.

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Kevin Durant defends Jayson Tatum from ex-NFL star

It was a crushing blow to the Boston Celtics when they lost Jayson Tatum in their lineup due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. While it's no secret that Tatum is their best player, ex-NFL star Emmanuel Acho believes otherwise.

Acho criticized Tatum's performance against the New York Knicks. The ex-NFL star believes that the Celtics are better off without JT, at least against the Knicks. His sentiments didn't sit well with Kevin Durant as he responded to Acho's criticism of Tatum.

"Hot take artist have ruined the sport," Durant said. "Football guys, no disrespect but ya'll boys need to stay in ya lanes, u don’t know what it’s like it's between these lines man, give it a break. Dudes who quit football early to pursue media talkin' mental toughness, cut it out."

Kevin Durant knows exactly what Jayson Tatum is going through, given how he tore his Achilles back in 2019. Durant lost to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals and was immediately sent to the hospital for surgery. KD then made his return in the 2020 NBA preseason.