Charles Barkley Sends Blunt Message To Jayson Tatum After Torn Achilles

Charles Barkley Sends Blunt Message To Jayson Tatum After Torn Achilles

After taking a double-digit lead for the fourth straight game, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics once again let it slip, dropping Game 4 and falling behind 3-1 in the second round against the New York Knicks.

But that’s the least of Boston’s concerns, and NBA on TNT’s Charles Barkley knows it.

With just under three minutes to play in the Celtics’ 121-113 Monday night loss to the Knicks, Tatum went down as he attempted to recover a loose ball.

The former Duke star was on the court, writhing in pain for some time before being helped to the locker room, unable to put pressure on his injured ankle.

On Tuesday, the Celtics’ worst fears came true as news broke that Tatum had ruptured his Achilles, leaving him out for the rest of the postseason and putting his 2025-26 season in jeopardy.

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant suffered the same injury during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA finals when he was with the Golden State Warriors. Durant missed all of the next season but was still able to perform at a high level upon his return in the 2020-21 season.

Before Game 5 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, Barkley had a message for Tatum, hoping the Celtics forward reaches out to Durant for advice.

“First call I would make is to Kevin Durant,” Barkley said. “Same thing I told (Victor) Wembanyama about the blood clot, first call would have been to Chris Bosh. If I’m Jason, I call Kevin Durant. I saw today Kevin Durant is six years removed from the time he blew out his Achilles and he’s still a hell of a player… The best experience is somebody who’s already experienced it before.”

Before the injury, Tatum played 40 minutes in Game 4, tallying 42 points, eight rebounds and four assists. But the Celtics will be moving forward in the playoffs without him.

Game 5 will be on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET at TD Garden.