If you’re going through something difficult, it always helps to have support around you, especially if some of those folks know exactly what you’re going through.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who suffered a ruptured Achilles on April 27, 2025 playing a first-round playoff game with the Milwaukee Bucks, has at least some of that support in the form of a group chat that includes other NBA players who are also recovering from the same injury. The group includes Boston Celtics wing Jayson Tatum, New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray, and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton:
“Checking in on each other is important,” Haliburton explained. “Everybody is in different phases. Some guys are ahead. I’m obviously the farthest behind. So we’re checking in on each other. It’s almost like Facebook sometimes where moms will share pictures of their kids doing something for the first time, and people will get excited for them. I’m sending a video of what I’m doing and guys will send me videos of what they’re doing.”
According to Haliburton, the other two most active participants in the group chat are Tatum and New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray.
“Dejounte Murray and Jayson Tatum are the two guys that I talk to mainly. But it’s important because you’re chasing something,” Haliburton said. “I text Jayson little questions like, yo, how long do I have to sleep with this boot on, bro? When did you get this off? How are you feeling running for the first time? Did it feel weird? Am I weird for feeling a certain type of way when I’m doing something?”
Tatum talked about what the group chat has meant for him during his recovery:
“The silver lining in the relationship I have with those guys is we all truly understand what each other is going through. Different stages in our career, different ages, but we all can put ourselves in each other’s shoes,” explained Tatum. “The cool part is the brotherhood of the NBA and those conversations of truly rooting for one another and wanting each other to overcome what we are all dealing with.
Haliburton mentions his understandable desire to come back as strong as before the injury – which has historically been devastating for most NBA players’ careers – like Kevin Durant did following his Achilles rupture in June of 2019:
“Kevin Durant says he is the Achilles guy because he is one of the first ones in our league to come back from it right back to who he was,” Haliburton said. “Now, we’re going to be the Achilles guys where guys are hitting us up about it.”
As a verified 80s baby, I feel compelled to mention that a 31-year-old Dominique Wilkins tore his Achilles midway through the 1990-91 season and returned just ten months later, made the All-Star team three more times, All-NBA two more times, and got votes for MVP two more times as well.