Is there a scenario in which the Celtics remain competitive without Tatum and he's cleared to return in time for the playoffs? Tatum's not ruling it out.
With the NBA season approaching, Jayson Tatum is speaking candidly about the Achilles tear that abruptly ended his 2025 postseason and is threatening to sideline him for the entire upcoming season.
It was a devastating injury that struck down an All-NBA player in his prime and prefaced an unexpected breakdown of a Celtics roster one season removed from an NBA championship.
An Achilles injury is arguably the most dreaded in sports and one that used to threaten careers. But advancements in treatment and recovery have allowed athletes in recent years to return and thrive.
Kevin Durant remains an All-NBA talent six years after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the 2019 Finals. Aaron Rodgers has returned to productive quarterback play at 41 years old, two years after suffering the same injury.
But even with the injury's improved prognosis, the recovery for athletes is long and arduous — and one that's generally expected to sideline Tatum for the upcoming NBA season. Tatum isn't ruling out a return.
Tatum talks 2025-26 comeback
"First thing, I haven't said I'm not playing this season," Tatum told ESPN's "First Take" on Tuesday.
That said, he doesn't intend to take any unnecessary risks.
"The most important thing is a full recovery," he continued. "And I'm not rushing it ... at all. But also, I don't go to rehab six days a week for nothing."
Tatum spoke with People about the moment he suffered the injury late in Game 4 of Boston's playoff series against the New York Knicks. He knew immediately what had happened. He said that he still hasn't watched a replay of the injury and that "it’s been a long journey" back.
"It sounded like a gunshot," Tatum said. "It was almost as if I had headphones on when I heard it. It was the loudest pop.
"I just kept saying, 'No, no, no way this just happened to me.' I'm turning on my butt, smacking the ground, 'cause I knew right away what just happened."
Tatum isn't the only NBA star going through recovery from an Achilles rupture. Pelicans All-Star Dejounte Murray suffered one in January. Bucks All-Star Damian Lillard, like Tatum, ruptured an Achilles tendon in the playoffs.
And Tyrese Haliburton, in heartbreaking fashion, suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals that his Pacers lost to the now-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tatum on contact with fellow injured All-Stars
Tatum told "First Take" that he's been in communication with all of them about their injuries — specifically with Murray and Lillard to get an idea of what to expect since their recovery timelines are ahead of his.
“We have all been in communication," Tatum said. "It all happened this season. We’re all at different points of our rehab and recovery. ...
"I text Dame and Dejounte all the time because they’re ahead of me like ‘what are you doing now? What are your workouts looking like now?’ We’re just all in the same boat, kind of checking in on each other, keeping in touch. It’s been very helpful.”
So is a return for Tatum this season realistic? It's not fair or reasonable to project from here. But in the instance that he does return, what would that look like for the Celtics?
Beyond medical clearance, a return for Tatum in 2025-26 would likely be contingent on the Celtics being competitive. Gone are Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday from an offseason roster purge to get under the the NBA's punitive second salary apron.
But the Celtics still have a talented roster. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White are still in Boston. And, thanks in part to the injuries to Lillard and Haliburton, the Eastern Conference projects to be wide open next season.
From this vantage point in September, a lot of things have to go right for Tatum to return in 2025-26. First and foremost, he has to be physically and mentally ready. And the Celtics would have to remain afloat in the East without him, to the point that his return would give them hope of competing in the postseason.
It adds up to a long shot. But it's one that Tatum is not willing to rule out.
Category: General Sports
