Dread it, run from it, destiny still arrives. If fully healthy, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum will return this season.
From an outsider’s perspective, Tatum, who tore his Achilles on May 12, 2025, in a second-round series against the New York Knicks, looks to be ahead of schedule on his recovery. And if his history tells us anything, if he’s able to play, he will.
Up until that injury, Tatum had never missed a playoff game and had played in the large majority of regular-season games in his career. In the last three seasons, Tatum has missed an average of just eight games per season.
Tatum Will Do It for the Fans
“I know someone appreciated me being out there tonight.”
Tatum prioritizes not missing games and especially not sitting out games; his philosophy on load management stems from the fans themselves. The forward has stated on multiple occasions how he tries to play every game possible in order to satisfy the thousands of fans that flood TD Garden and opposing stadiums.
On March 12, Tatum told NBC Sports Boston just how much it could mean to a fan for him to be out on the court.
@nbcsboston Tatum talks about the struggle of never wanting to sit out games, especially on the road
“I see a lot of Tatum jerseys,” Tatum said. “Kids with my shoes on, they might be there for their birthday or Christmas gift. I try to stay ready and play as often as I can.”
Tatum clearly has the desire to be out on the court as much as his body will let him. The question then lies in whether or not the forward will be healthy enough to not only play basketball this season, but whether the Celtics will clear him for gameday action.
Although Achilles injuries typically take an entire season to heal, Tatum’s workout videos give the appearance that he’s ahead of schedule.
Tatum’s Timeline
Less than a day after tearing his Achilles, Tatum went under the knife to repair his tendon.
Dr. Martin O’Malley, who also performed Kevin Durant’s Achilles surgery back in 2019, performed the procedure.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Tatum has reportedly consulted with Durant on how to deal with his injury and about the rehab process.
Since that day, Tatum has seemed to be rehabbing productively, posting workout videos moving with the basketball and even dunking. As recently as Sept. 27, he posted a vlog on Instagram in which the forward can be seen working on basketball.
Obviously if he were to play, the Celtics have to be in contention for the postseason, which was put into doubt earlier in the year when Boston disassembled its 2024 championship team due to salary cap restrictions.
But in a fairly open Eastern Conference, the Celtics currently sit at the No. 8 seed with a 12-9 record. It hasn’t been pretty, guard Derrick White and others in Boston’s supporting cast have taken a step back to start the season without Tatum, but the Celtics are still in the fight.
If Boston can stay in postseason contention post All-Star break, and Tatum stays ahead of schedule, don’t be surprised if No. 0 is back in the starting lineup before the season ends.
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