The injury happened within the last six minutes of the fourth quarter. Tatum was having a strong scoring performance with 42 points as he kept the Celtics in the game.

However, disaster struck when Tatum suffered an apparent leg injury when he tried to dive for a loose ball. It was non-contact as he was unable to put any weight on the leg, as team officials carried him to the locker room. They later put him on a wheelchair, which indicates the injury to be potentially severe.

James was watching the game as he made his reaction on social media. The message he had was strong and hopeful that the Celtics star gets better.

“🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Big Deuce,” James said.

LeBron James’ history with Jayson Tatum

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) during the first half at TD Garden.
Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Tatum knew James from an early age when he attended one of the star’s camps. He would later face him in the first game of the 2017-18 regular season when the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers played against each other.

That carried over into the postseason, where Tatum emerged as a rising star as he got a memorable dunk on James in Game 7 of the East Finals. Even though the Cavaliers won to reach the NBA Finals, it was clear that the two stars will stay in touch.

James went to the Lakers in 2018, which made the allure of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry sweeter with Tatum on the other side. While they haven’t met in the playoffs since 2018, they have made sure to always entertain with standout performances whenever they meet up.

The duo also teamed up at the international level. Representing Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, they went undefeated in the tournament as they secured gold for their country.

While everyone awaits huge injury update on Tatum, James will hope for the best for his rival and friend.