Jayson Tatum took to Instagram on Wednesday to share his first words since he ruptured his Achilles tendon. “Thankful for all the love and support,” the Boston Celtics star captioned the photo of him in a hospital bed giving a thumbs up with his right leg heavily casted.

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson believes the NBA is better when Jayson Tatum is playing. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Brunson said the NBA "needs Jayson Tatum" in the wake of the Boston Celtics star undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles suffered in the Knicks' win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Jayson Tatum shared his first public comments since his season-ending injury in a brief Instagram post Wednesday. The Celtics star, who underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon, posted a photo of himself flashing a thumbs-up in a hospital bed with the caption: “Thankful for all the love and support.”