The Boston Celtics series with the New York Knicks has descended into a nightmare for the defending champions.
Now 3-1 down in their series with the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics received a hammer blow at the end of Game 4.
Jayson Tatum had to be carried off the court after sustaining an injury that many fear could be a torn Achilles.
Tatum’s injury left the Celtics locker room shellshocked, while fans are coming to terms with the grim reality of being without their star player.
The superstar will miss the rest of this series and is expected to miss next season, with the team confirming Tatum has already undergone surgery.
Choppy waters already lay ahead for the Boston Celtics. Even with a successful title defense, the team’s finances meant there were going to have to be tough decisions ahead for the new ownership group.
Now with a possible Eastern Conference semifinals exit, and Jayson Tatum facing a long spell on the sidelines, the planning has become even more difficult.
Forget ideas of blowing up the team and tanking, Boston will be looking to remain competitive while they wait for Tatum to recover – but there will be changes.
It is a major challenge for the 2024 NBA Executive of the Year, Brad Stevens. But there was one overriding feeling among Boston Celtics fans.
In the wake of Tatum’s injury, Stevens was trending on X, with fans of the team expressing confidence that he can lead them through the challenging time ahead.
“I got Brad Stevens, I’m not even tripping,” wrote one fan confidently.
“I’m at peace knowing Brad Stevens runs my basketball team. That’s all I can hold onto right now,” another added.
A third wrote: “Only thing that calms me down about the future of this basketball team is that we have Brad Stevens at the helm.”
Another fan added: “There is no better person to navigate the Celtics murky short-term future than Brad Stevens.”
More comments posted to X included: “Brad Stevens will work a miracle yet again,” and “If anyone can save this team it’s Brad Stevens.”
“We have Brad Stevens, we don’t need to worry,” another fan echoed, summing up the confidence they have in the team’s GM.
Planning for the team’s rebuild will not be Brad Stevens’ first priority. His main aim will be focusing on Jayson Tatum and ensuring the franchise does right by his recovery.
Stevens led from the front on this, with one video captured from Madison Square Garden showing how the executive even helped to carry Tatum off the court.
