Episode 2 of Jayson Tatum’s documentary ‘The Quiet Work’ was run before the 76ers vs. Celtics game on NBC’s Sunday Night Basketball. Tatum then posted the video on his YouTube channel and it explores his and his doctor’s perspective on getting surgery immediately the next day after his injury.
At the end of Episode 1, Jayson Tatum had just torn his Achilles and was on his way to the hospital. Episode 2 opens up with Tatum and trainer Nick Sang going back and forth describing the scene with Celtics
team doctor Antony Schena on the night of the injury. Schena used a tape cutter to take off the bandages, raised Tatum’s leg, and nodded at the group to signal that the Achilles was ruptured. Tatum responded to the story saying it was “heartbreaking.”
Doctor Martin O’Malley of the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City then sits down for an interview and talks about the science behind how an Achilles tear rupture is the worst injury in basketball. He says “it feels like an explosion goes off in the back of your [leg] and the tendon just separates.” Tatum cuts in following this and says, “I just couldn’t help but think in my head, ‘am I ever going to play again’ and to be honest at that point, I ain’t have no hope.”
Dr. O’Malley comes back in and explains the risk of the injury. “The biggest risk is not getting back to that same level, losing a step, losing a jump.” He was watching the game at home and when Tatum went down he said, “oh no, that’s not good.”
O’Malley is an orthopedic surgeon that specializes in foot and ankle surgery who has operated on a few professional athletes and other NBA players like Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, and Vince Carter. So, he knew once Tatum got injured, he called his team right away.
Tatum then describes the next morning and how he felt discouraged when he was was offered a wheelchair when he first walked into the hospital. He said, “Yesterday, I was Superman, I was invincible, and now I need help with everything.”
Dr. O’Malley then shows the X-ray of Tatum’s foot and where the Achilles tore and where they sewed it back together. He also said getting the surgery within 24 hours leads to better outcomes and offered Tatum the ability to get the surgery that day. Tatum was crushed, saying, “it felt like my soul left my body.”
Tatum’s mother, Brandy Cole, said his face turned white and explained that Jayson didn’t expect to get the surgery and was apprehensive about getting it that day. Cole asked everyone to leave the room and Tatum just broke down. Cole said, “I can’t imagine feeling like the thing you love the most, the thing you worked for your whole life, just taken away from you.” She eventually convinced Tatum to get the surgery sooner rather than later.
Tatum described the process of the surgery and they showed video of his reaction when he first woke up. When describing what he felt when he woke up, he said, “I remember looking down at my foot and [it] felt heavy… I tried playing with my toes and I couldn’t move them.” The next shot was the hallway of the hospital and the episode faded to black.
