The 2024–25 NBA postseason was nothing short of brutal. From Tyrese Haliburton’s heartbreaking Achilles tear to Damian Lillard’s devastating setback and Jayson Tatum’s shocking collapse in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the fans were reminded just how fragile greatness can be.
Yet, amid the chaos and despair, one star has flipped the script entirely. Tatum’s recovery is going so well that the whole NBA is now astonished. And now none other than Kevin Durant, who knows the pain of such an injury firsthand, is among those who are leading the applause.
When Did Jayson Tatum Get Injured?
Tatum’s injury hit like a thunderclap in the heat of the 2024–25 playoffs. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks on May 12, he lunged for a 50–50 ball in the final minutes and suffered a ruptured right Achilles.
He underwent surgery the next day, which ended his postseason and cast uncertainty over his availability for the 2025–26 season. The timeline felt daunting. Yet as summer faded, the picture flipped. By early October, clips began flooding social feeds.
Springy vertical work, controlled on-court reps, and then the moment that went viral was a powerful two-footed dunk that looked nothing like a player months removed from a major tendon repair.
The speed and sharpness of his return-to-play progression were so striking that even teammates marveled publicly, with Jaylen Brown during a casual Twitch stream essentially calling Tatum otherworldly for how fast he was trending.
Now the admiration is coming from the other side.
What Has Kevin Durant Said Regarding Jayson Tatum?
After Saturday’s Celtics–Rockets game on November 1, Durant saluted Tatum’s progress and approach.
“Medicine has advanced so much since I had Achilles. And Jayson looks like he’s just killing in rehab. He looks great. I don’t see a limp. For somebody who’s just had an Achilles surgery in the playoffs, he looks amazing.”
“So hopefully he’ll continue to get better and get back on the court soon. And the game misses him. The NBA misses him. He’s just an all-world talent, man. So looking forward to having him back on the floor,” said Durant during the postgame interview.
Kevin Durant on Jayson Tatum to @RealBobManning :
“At 5-6 months, I wouldn’t say I felt that confident to dunk the ball… Jayson looks like he’s killing the rehab. He looks great. I don’t see a limp. For someone to just have an achilles surgery in the playoff, he looks amazing.”… pic.twitter.com/k30KAblvFM
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) November 2, 2025
As for the Celtics, the absence of their star forward has been evident. Boston currently stands at 3–4 and is struggling to find consistency despite Jaylen Brown’s impressive 27.7 points per game. Without Tatum’s offensive balance and defensive leadership, the Celtics’ rhythm looks fractured, but all signs point to a resurgence once Tatum returns to full form.
On the other side, Houston looks energized. With Durant averaging 27.5 points per game, the Rockets are off to a 3-2 start and already accumulating quality reps.
If you zoom in on Saturday’s meeting, Houston controlled the game from the jump as they were up by 13 after the first quarter and were also leading by 18 points at halftime. The third and fourth quarters carried the same theme as the Rockets poured in 62 second-half points, which was a wave that Boston couldn’t withstand and lost (128-101).
While the Celtics may be battling adversity now, the NBA world is witnessing something far bigger. It is a superstar rewriting the limits of recovery and resilience.