Celtics Superfan Bill Simmons Reacts To Devastating Jayson Tatum Injury

Bill Simmons is well aware the magnitude of the Jayson Tatum injury.

“Tonight was not good for Celtics fans. Holy (expletive),” Simmons said at the start of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” released Tuesday morning after Boston’s 121-113 loss at Madison Square Garden.

The Celtics staring down a 3-1 series deficit to the New York Knicks became more or less an afterthought as Tatum painfully rolled around on the hardwood before being taken to the locker room via wheelchair. And while Green Teamers and media members await an official diagnosis following Tatum’s MRI, it’s a near lock he won’t return to the Eastern Conference semifinals. The belief is the four-time All-NBA honoree likely will remain on the shelf deep into the 2025-26 campaign.

“This could go down — we’ll see what happens with Tatum — but this could go down as one of the darker Celtic days,” Simmons said. “I mean, honestly.”

Simmons didn’t want to speculate too much on the injury. However, like everyone else, he acknowledged the worst-case scenario: An Achilles tear. That’s the most common belief after seeing how it occurred and Tatum’s instant reaction.

Known for being one of the only NBA superstars who plays every night, the 27-year-old hasn’t dealt with anything like it before.

“Especially the timing, not to mention he’s at the peak of his career,” Simmons said. “He’s never had a major injury, Tatum, and if this looks like a major one, it doesn’t just take him out for this playoffs, but it takes him out for, I think, all of next year, too. As he’s hitting his late 20s. You just wonder, is he going to be able to get back to the point that he was at tonight?

“We’ll see what happens with Tatum, but this speaks to: A) How hard it is to win a title. B) How important injury luck is. C) How hard it is to put together some really good years in a row,” Simmons said.

The Celtics likely will provide an update on Tatum’s status following his MRI on Tuesday.