Celtics Hall of Famer Marvels at Jayson Tatum's Recovery, Physically and Mentally

Robert Parish remembers when an Achilles Injury would cost a player at least two years, so Tatum's return in 10 months has been especially impressive.

Mar 14, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during warmups before a game against the Washington Wizards at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Robert Parish remembers when tearing an Achilles tendon was essentially a basketball death sentence. That's why he’s so amazed at what Jayson Tatum has been able to accomplish. 

“Pretty much minimum two years before you were fully recovered and fully back to form,” Parish said in an interview on the Locked On Celtics podcast to promote his new autobiography, “The Chief.” “[I’m] very thankful with the new technology, not to mention, Jayson has youth on his side also, so they help with the rehab. And so I am happy that it was short.”

For Parish, whose career spanned from 1976 to 1997, the physical return is amazing enough, but the return to being mentally ready to play is just as impressive. 

“You got to trust your body again,” he said. “You got to gain confidence in your body. And so any little thing that don't feel quite right, that question mark is in the back of your mind. Am I going to have a setback? Are there going to be problems? So I was happy to see that it appears that Jayson has conquered not only physical rehab, but the mental rehab, also.”

It has now been 306 days since Tatum’s surgery and not only has he been back for four games, he’s recovering today from playing 32 minutes of NBA basketball, an uptick in his minutes restriction.

“I'm finding more and more moments each game where I'm feeling more confident, more explosive,” Tatum said after the win over Washington. “I knew that my minutes would go up a little bit this week, and that's just kind of the progression. I was playing 27 minutes the first three games, they go up a little bit for a week or so, see how you respond. But, you know, obviously I’ve been responding really well and feeling great the next day and after the games, and we just go from there.”

That sentiment from Tatum doesn’t surprise Parish, who knows getting back into games is the only way for Tatum to truly, fully recover both a physical and mental perspective.

“Competing in the game is where you get your confidence back,” Parish said. “Practice is one thing, playing in the game is totally different. So in a competitive atmosphere, that's where you get your confidence from. And when you get positive results in a competitive atmosphere, that's when you regain your confidence. Jayson can practice against his teammates, he can practice one-on-one, but until he gets in a game situation and his body does not fail him, that's when you regain the confidence.”

Tatum confirmed that feeling when he made a tough move against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, and Wembanyama shoved him to the ground. 

“Getting knocked on your ass and falling is part of being in the NBA,” Tatum said. “When he pushed me, it knocked me off balance. But I laid there for a second and I was like, ‘All right, now I’m fine.’ It’s just moments like that where it’s been a while since something like that has happened. So it is a good feeling of, like, all right, I’m back.”

The full episode of Locked On Celtics with Robert Parish will be released Sunday evening. He will be signing books around New England this week. He’ll be at The Silver Unicorn in Acton at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. He’ll be doing signings at 4 and 5:30 p.m. at the TD Garden Pro Shop Wednesday. He’ll be at Balin Books in Nashua, NH at 7 p.m.  And he’ll be at Wellesley Books in Wellesley at 4 p.m. Friday.