Nobody in the NBA wants to hear they tore their Achilles tendon. It’s a severe injury for basketball players. But for Jayson Tatum, things will go as well as they can. The Celtics star tore his Achilles in the last part of the game against the Knicks. But just a few hours later, he had already undergone the surgery.
Getting surgery that quickly is very unusual. According to Dr. Lou Soslowsky, founding director of the Penn Achilles Tendinopathy Center, even famous athletes usually wait a few days before having surgery. He told CelticsBlog, “That is atypical—even for a professional athlete or a high-profile individual—that is atypical,” and “So that is wonderful,” as Tatum had urgency so fast.
Timing and Fitness Speed Up Jayson Tatum’s Road To Recovery
There were possibly some special reasons why Tatum had his surgery immediately. He got hurt in New York City, and one of the best doctors in the world for Achilles Injuries, Dr. Martin O’Malley, was free and close by. O’Malley, who also operated on Kevin Durant, did Tatum’s surgery on the same day.
Getting the surgery so fast helped Tatum recover faster. Soslowsky explained that early surgery prevents scar tissue buildup and helps the healing process start sooner. He also added, “Because this repair was within a day, those processes had only just begun”.
Age plays a significant role, too. Most NBA players who suffer this damage are older than 30. Tatum is only 27, which is still his best playing year so that he might recover better than usual. Soslowky said they don’t have much information about how he recovers from this injury so quickly after it happens.
Even though his early surgery is a good sign, it doesn’t mean he will return to the court soon. Tatum will have a long time to get back in shape, especially as it’s hard to stay in good cardio shape while recovering. Even though Tatum’s father expects he can make his return within 8 to 9 months, Soslowsky said, “I think the likelihood of coming back next season is pretty low, honestly.”
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