Boston Celtics Tweet Fuels More Hope For Jayson Tatum's Return

The Celtics social media team added a new piece of evidence to the mix that suggests Tatum is on his way back.

Apr 20, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during the first half against the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Celtics were never expected to be as good as they are this season. The term “gap year” was thrown around so much that it became bulletin board material. To the Celtics, it’s a pejorative, a term aimed at knocking them down and dismissing their capabilities. 

Now, they're sitting in second, fighting off the hard-charging Cavs and the New York Knicks. 

“I'm proud. I don't know what to tell you. I'm extremely proud of our group to where we're at right now,” Jaylen Brown said at All-Star media day. “Second in the East versus how many players and everything that was being said, the gap year, and for us to be sitting here at All-Star break and having our guys feeling like we can even be better.”

This group certainly has some losses that they wish they could replay. But the impending return of Jayson Tatum could also help push them to new heights. 

Tatum has been noncommittal about coming back, but his actions tell a different story. He returned to practice against the Maine Celtics, who traveled to Boston to scrimmage with Tatum at the Auerbach Center. Afterwards, Tatum told the media, “I’m feeling good … it's just like the progression of rehab. It was the next step. Doesn't mean that I'm coming back or I'm not. It’s just following the plan. So it's just another step."

But Ron Harper Jr., who participated, said, “He looked like Jayson Tatum, I’ll say that much.”

During All-Star weekend, Brown said he’s seen Tatum in other scrimmages and, “He looked good, to be honest. He looks like he's progressing along. He's checking off all the right boxes … In terms of what I've seen, he looks pretty damn good.”

Which brings us to the Celtics Saturday Tweet. 

Another day of work 💪 pic.twitter.com/EJD0iT58rP

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 21, 2026

It’s three photos. Two of them are just standard social media stuff, Tatum pointing to the camera, and an action shot of a jump shot against assistant coach Tony Dobbins. 

But the middle photo tells a different story. He’s driving left on Luka Garza, right shoulder dipped, pushing off his surgically repaired right leg. It is a typical Tatum drive that would be unremarkable if we didn’t know his situation. The clock in the background reads 56.9, and the shot clock is at 19, suggesting that this is a timed affair. 

It looks like he’s scrimmaging with the team. 

This may or may not be the first time he’s done it. At this point, we can assume he’s practiced with them before, but it’s the first time the team is putting it out there.

The official team account has acknowledged that Tatum is practicing with the team, and that is significant. We don’t know what it means from there, but it’s certainly a step forward in what the team is allowing the public to see. Tatum will remain noncommittal in public, and because he’s working towards a return, he’ll speak to the media again soon, per league rules. 

From here, we can only speculate. NBC has been flexing as many Celtics games onto national TV as it can, and there is a docuseries on Tatum’s return that will start running on the network Sunday ahead of their matchup with the Lakers. 

Actions speak louder than words, and the actions are pointing to a return, barring any setbacks, at some point. The only question is when.