Jayson Tatum was injured in Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks.
Celtics guard Jayson Tatum took social media by storm Sunday after posting a video of himself playing basketball again, giving fans in Boston some new-found hope ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Just four months after suffering a devastating Achilles rupture, a setback that typically sidelines players for around a year, Tatum is seen lifting, running, shooting, and most importantly, back on the basketball court. In the newly posted video, Tatum provides a heartfelt message to his teammates and fans, “it’s been a long journey but I’m working my tail off to get back.”
The All-Star guard had surgery in May to repair the ruptured right Achilles tendon injury he suffered in Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks. Tatum was expected to miss most — if not all — of next NBA season.
While Tatum’s return timetable remains unknown, there’s a renewed sense of optimism heading into training camp and the 2025-26 season. Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said in June that the All-Star is progressing well following surgery. But asked about whether the team had put a potential timeline on Tatum’s return, Stevens was definitive that there would be no rushing the star’s recovery process.
“No pressure,” Tatum said Monday at the Celtics’ media day. “No pressure to return back any sooner than when I’m 100% healthy. No pressure from Brad, (coach) Joe (Mazzulla), the team, the organization. The most important thing is that I’m 100% recovered and healthy whenever I do come back.”
Tatum wouldn’t say exactly where he is in his recovery timeline, but he has resumed light basketball workouts as part of his six-day per week rehab schedule.
He’s receiving support from all corners of the Celtics organization, with close friend and team trainer Nick Sang never far from his side to ensure he never misses a workout even when he’s out of town.
Mazzulla himself even adjusted his summer plans at times to celebrate different milestones with Tatum.
“It’s your responsibility as a coach to be there for your guys,” Mazzulla said. “Whenever I could lift with him, whenever I could be there for treatment, whenever I could rebound for him, I think it was important to do that… I was there the first time he walked, I was there the first time he ran, I was there for the first shots he took.”
Tatum’s also gotten help maintaining his mental health via the “Achilles group chat” he’s a part of alongside fellow NBA stars Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Dejounte Murray, who are all at different points recovering from Achilles tendon surgeries.
It’s helped Tatum put his recovery in perspective, while also celebrating achievements big and small — whether it was shedding one of his crutches, then another and eventually walking for the first time.
“I’m in a really good spot. It’ll be five months tomorrow,” Tatum said. “It’s been a long journey. … For me there’s been bright spots. And getting back on the court, being able to participate in a basketball workout was definitely one of the more bright spots of this journey. It just really felt really good to be on the court, dribbling the basketball, going through a workout. You just feel like a basketball player again.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
