Jayson Tatum is on the mend after he underwent surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon on Tuesday.

The Boston Celtics star isn’t the first NBA player to undergo this type of surgery, and Charles Barkley believes Tatum’s first call should be to Kevin Durant.

“Kevin Durant is six years removed from the time he blew out his Achilles and he’s still a hell of a player,” Barkley said during TNT’s pregame broadcast. “So that’s the first person I would call and say, ‘Hey, tell me about what’s gonna happen, how to start the rehab. Obviously, you have your own doctors. But the best experience is somebody who’s already experienced it before.”

Durant was 30 years old when he tore his Achilles in 2019. He returned about 18 months later and looked like he picked up right where he left off, averaging 26.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists.

Tatum, 27, will miss the remainder of the Celtics’ playoff run and his status for the 2025-26 season is in doubt. The recovery is lengthy and the Celtics might look like a different team by the time he returns.

There’s no timeline for Tatum’s return, and every recovery looks different from player to player.

It’s a huge loss for the Celtics, though, who fell 3-1 in its second-round series to the New York Knicks