Jayson Tatum suffered a brutal Achilles injury in Game 4 against the New York Knicks — a gut punch not just to the Celtics, but to the entire basketball world. From rival players to fans across the league, support poured in as everyone hoped for the best.

But while the NBA held its breath, ESPN senior writer Marc J. Spears may have crossed a line.

In the aftermath of the injury, Spears revealed that he spoke directly with Justin Tatum, Jayson’s father. While it’s clear the two share a rapport, airing details from a private conversation—especially during such a sensitive moment—has raised eyebrows.

And after they talked, Marc appeared on “Oh No He Didn’t,” to make a harrowing revelation. “Justin, having played college and pro basketball himself, knew he felt that that was an Achilles injury. He said that, within ten minutes, Jason’s mom called him, Brandy, told him what had happened. He got off the phone, started bawling, he told me, walked away from his team to try to collect his self, and Jason ended up giving him a call once he was able to. They cried on the phone together, and Jason was asking him, ‘Why me, dad? Why me?'” revealed Marc J Spears. Pretty gut-wrenching stuff, huh?

But Justin also knew how to console and motivate his son. “He said, ‘Son, this is God’s will. You’re young. You’re gonna get through this. And he reminded him that, ‘Isn’t Kobe your idol? Kobe got through this.“”

Marc Spears’ breaking of this news has not sat well with NBA fans, though. And like usual, the fans did not hold back in blasting Spears for airing out Jayson Tatum’s private business for the world to see.

Here are some of the best reactions we found.

Fans lash out at Marc Spears for revealing Jayson Tatum’s conversation with his father

Goes without saying that fans weren’t at all pleased with what Spears did. And many questioned whether the Tatum family even wanted this information out in public. “Did they want this out?” questioned one fan while another wrote, “Why do we know this???” And this is a question worth asking.

Spears did not reveal anything about Justin or Jayson saying they wanted the world to hear this. And Spears taking matters into his own hands and revealing this information is worth questioning!

You see, there are some things that fans simply shouldn’t be privy to. And conversations with family members, especially during such a dark time for the Celtics star, should remain private. Or, as a fan wrote, “We don’t have to have a report on everything.” They’re 100% right, by the way.

But some fans weren’t really angry at Spears. Instead, hearing what JT is going through genuinely broke their hearts. “Damn, I feel bad for the guy,” wrote one X user. Another wrote, “This is heartbreaking nobody deserves this.”

Someone who’s done nothing but stay out of trouble and try to be a good role model, like Jayson Tatum, truly doesn’t deserve a fate like this. Achilles injuries are horrible. And often, players lose a step even if they make a full recovery. Let’s hope that isn’t the case with JT.

All in all, the entire situation is quite depressing. Not only did he get injured, but the 2024 NBA champion also had his privacy kind of violated by the media. We just hope he can take it all in stride and come back better once he’s fully healed in a year’s time!