Jayson Tatum suffers Achilles injury as Boston Celtics snubbed from NBA’s big holiday games

Jayson Tatum is out with a serious injury. The Boston Celtics will not play on NBA opening night or Christmas Day because he is hurt. The team and fans are shocked. The injury came during the playoffs, and it has left a big hole in the Celtics’ plans.

It creates a big question: How will the team play important games next season without their star forward? Let’s look at what this means.

Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury keeps him out of Opening Night and Christmas Day games

On May 12, during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right leg. He had surgery soon after.

Many think Tatum will be out for most, or maybe even all, of the 2025–26 season. Because of this, the NBA left the Celtics out of the Opening Night and Christmas Day games, which usually go to the top teams.

This is the first time since 2015 that Boston won’t be part of either game, a big letdown for the players and fans.

Jayson Tatum’s healing steps and how the Celtics are adapting

Right now, Jayson Tatum is doing rehab and healing well. Jayson Tatum was recently spotted walking without his boot, which is a great sign for his recovery. Celtics president Rich Gotham says the team is still confident and making plans, even with Tatum out.Players like Payton Pritchard and Jrue Holiday have said they’re ready to step up.

Over the summer, Boston made big changes, trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, bringing in Anfernee Simons, and briefly signing Georges Niang before swapping him for R.J. Luis Jr. Also Read:Internet goes wild as NBA unveils opening night and Christmas Day schedulesThese changes are meant to help the Celtics save money and plan while Tatum recovers. But fans know the start of the 2025-26 season won’t be easy, with their star sidelined by an ACL injury and the team missing big TV games on opening night and Christmas. For now, Boston will lean on Jaylen Brown to lead the scoring, while everyone keeps an eye on Tatum’s return, which could change their title chances.