Kevin Durant offers up advice for Jayson Tatum after Achilles injury

After rupturing his Achilles tendon during the Eastern Conference Semifinals in May, Jayson Tatum faces a difficult rehabilitation journey in the months ahead.

Tatum is still in a walking boot less than two months after he first fell to the court at Madison Square Garden, but he has already begun strengthening his leg and ankle with exercises in the pool.

Rehabbing his Achilles in the pool, Jayson Tatum (via@jaytatum0)pic.twitter.com/Aww7c9YoKy

However, Tatum has turned to one of the NBA’s greatest players, Kevin Durant, for guidance as he prepares for the highs and lows that will accompany a protracted path to recovery.

“The Celtics forward has been one of several players who have reached out to me for advice during this rehab process,” said Durant, who played with Tatum during Team USA’s gold-medal victories during the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics.

On the Mind The Game podcast, Durant told LeBron James and Steve Nash, “Of course, JT and [Damian Lillard] hit me up, I feel like I’m the Achilles guy.”Both of those guys, in my opinion, have repeatedly demonstrated their intention to keep improving both as athletes and as people. Man, it’s a grind.

Durant played in 35 games during the 2020–21 season after missing the whole 2019–20 season due to a torn Achilles tendon sustained during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

Since recovering from a career-altering injury, Durant appears to have not missed a beat, even though he has been out of action for about 18 months. Durant has averaged 36.7 minutes, 28.0 points, and 6.6 rebounds per game since the 2021–22 campaign.

Given that Durant fully recovered from his own devastating injury, James and Nash questioned the 36-year-old forward on how he changed his style of play after more than a year of off-court rehabilitation.

Regarding Tatum and Lillard, Durant remarked, “Those guys are cut from a cloth that they’re rare individuals.” The only thing they need to do is sit down and focus on this brief pause in their journey. Once they really understand that I will be gone for a year, I believe it will be simple for them to lock in.

It takes a few weeks at first for you to fully comprehend that. They will most likely have to sit down and refrain from playing for the first time in their life. They are unable to play physically. It’s likely the first time they’ve experienced that.

After recovering from his injuries, Durant, who is a natural scorer, was able to play without missing a beat. However, the current Rockets forward admitted that players like Tyrese Haliburton, Tatum, and Lillard who are recovering from Achilles tears will need to adjust their style of play on the court to accommodate such a lengthy absence.

“Your body and your game will definitely change,” Durant stated. Your calf muscle is useless when you damage your Achilles tendon. After three months of sitting, you are unable to move your calf. My right is smaller than my left if you look at mine right now. However, that is only because you didn’t use it for those four or five months. shut down entirely. Getting that calf back is therefore the majority of the job. You must make it stronger and larger.

According to Durant, step-back shooters like Tatum and Lillard may need to alter their shot selection in addition to just regaining their strength, particularly in the early stages of their comeback to competition.

Regarding Tatum and Lillard, Durant stated, “I believe that will be their adjustment.” Both of those guys shoot a lot of difficult step-back threes in addition to their long threes. Prior to my injury, I was shooting those, and I improved my technique to eliminate some of that stuff, like the sidestep.

Not because it was a poor shot, but more because I didn’t yet have enough strength in my right leg to perform those movements. For guys returning from Achilles, it will be that kind of adjustment, simply increasing their power.

Despite the challenges that Tatum will have in the upcoming season, Durant said he is confident that Tatum will return to his previous level of play as one of the NBA’s best players.

As soon as you get confidence, since I also put myself out there. “I started playing as soon as I was able to hoop,” Durant stated. Those guys will be fine once they put themselves out there.

Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.