Jayson Tatum Wants to Return to Celtics Before End of Season, But Should He?

Patrick Warren | Sep 27, 2025

May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) is helped off the court by after an injury in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tatum would leave the game with an injury after this play. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jayson Tatum experienced an immense wave of emotions after suffering a heart-breaking Achilles tendon tear in Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals against the New York Knicks.

"I just kept saying, 'No, no, no way this just happened to me.' I'm turning on my butt, smacking the ground, because I knew right away what just happened," Tatum told People Magazine.

More news: Celtics Star Linked to Rockets in Potential Blockbuster Trade

From anxiety around the future of his blossoming NBA career to fear of being traded away from the team that drafted him as a 19-year-old kid out of college, Tatum went through a lot in the days following the injury.

In the months following, he went through even more. From surgery to rehab to resting, recovering from an Achilles tear with the intent to return to an NBA court is a full time job.

More news: Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Surprising His Surgeon With Progress

Tatum hopes to get that job done before the 2025-26 season's end.

"I'm doing everything in my power to get back as healthy as I can, as fast as I can. Nobody's putting any pressure on me to come back at a certain point. But I'm also not ruling out that I'm not playing this season. The first most important thing is making a full recovery, being back 100% before I step on the floor, not compromising anything, I'm still only 27, I got a lot of basketball left. I'm not rushing it."

Not rushing it might be the best call for Tatum, who is in the middle of his prime. Returning to the court too quickly could prove costly for a player with potential to be the face of the league.

Kevin Durant came back to NBA action just a month after suffering a calf strain in the 2019 postseason and ruptured his Achilles in his very first game back in the NBA Finals.

On the other hand, waiting on an injury to properly heal has proven benefits. Klay Thompson tore his Achilles during an offseason workout in November 2020, and took his time in his return, waiting nearly 14 months to get back on the court. That same year, Thompson played an average of 38 minutes and contributed 17 points per game in the Golden State Warriors' NBA Finals run.

As he works to get back to the NBA Finals himself, Tatum is determined to show his kids what hard work looks like.

“What kind of a life lesson is that if I was like, 'This might be too much, I'll just call it quits'?” Tatum said. “As a parent, you want your kids to be proud of you, I want them to look at me like, ‘He showed me what it’s like to fight through adversity. I want my kids to see that Dad didn’t give up.’”

While there is no chance that Tatum gives up on his Achilles recovery, taking his time in order to properly ensure a safe return to the court should be the highest priority for the Celtics and their All-Star.

Latest Celtics News

feed

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.