Jayson Tatum's torn Achilles tendon, without hyperbole, is among the most consequential injuries in NBA history. Kevin Durant comes to mind as a similarly gifted player to suffer such an injury, but he was almost 31 when he went down in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Orthopedic surgeons call Achilles' tears some of the most difficult injuries an athlete can sustain, and recovery can take longer for pro athletes.

It is the worst-case scenario for Boston, and what was feared from the moment Jayson Tatum collapsed to the floor, grabbing his ankle late in the Game 4 loss to the Knicks. Tatum has a ruptured Achilles tendon and underwent surgery to repair it on Tuesday,