There is no denying that a torn right Achilles injury is going to leave a lasting impact on Jayson Tatum, but to say the least, it’s nearly incomparable to those who have suffered Achilles tears.
At 27 years old, Jayson Tatum is one of the youngest All-Stars to suffer the injury, which history shows is on his side.
Players who struggled post-Achilles injury
Kobe Bryant, Dominique Wilkins, Isiah Thomas, Patrick Ewing and Chauncey Billups were all 32 or older when they tore their Achilles.
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Wilkins was the only one who performed at a similar level the following season, while the others dropped statistically and retired not much longer.
John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were 27 and 28-year-old All-Stars but struggled to stay in rotations after recovery.
In Tatum’s favor, his play style is much different than how Wall and Cousins dominated.
Twenty-nine-year-old Klay Thompson missed over two seasons, but he had a torn Achilles and ACL.
The Anomaly: Kevin Durant
Even though Kevin Durant was 30 when he tore his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals, KD is the most relatable to Tatum due to their similar playing styles.
Both forwards were dominant scorers while coming off championship victories and finished in the top eight in MVP voting.
Durant, who also had the injury in the playoffs, did not play in the following season, which seems to be the likely route that Tatum follows.
“Easy Money Sniper” has struggled to stay on the court since 2019— he’s only had two seasons where he’s played in over 62 games.
Two years coming off the injury, Durant was averaging 34 points a game in the playoffs while being inches away from defeating the eventual 2021 NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Durant and Wilkins were the only players to continue to perform at an All-Star level (Bryant was voted into the game due to his global popularity).
For how Jayson Tatum performs in the following seasons, it’s nearly impossible to pinpoint what the trajectory of his career will take.
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