Jayson Tatum appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from an Achilles tear suffered against the New York Knicks in the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals. After just five months, the Boston Celtics star is already doing box jumps, standing dunks, and vertical movements on the court.
Celtics fans will undoubtedly hope that Tatum can get back on the court before the end of the 2025-26 NBA season. However, it’s far too early to tell whether that will be possible, regardless of Tatum’s progress or his own personal plans.
The good news is that Tatum is already feeling confident in his body, which is usually a sizeable hurdle following such a serious injury. During a recent conversation with DJ Siddiqi of Poker Strategy, the four-time All-NBA First Team selection discussed how he’s confident that he won’t suffer the same injury again.
“I mean the exact number, I know the number is low,” Tatum said. “Everybody thinks it’s a time-based recovery. Time is obviously important, but you have to hit certain benchmarks. The most important thing is all these tests of your strength, the strength in your calf, the strength in your leg. Getting into the same strength as your left calf or even stronger.”
Tatum continued.
“For some guys, that takes six, nine, 12 months. Everybody’s just different. But the surgery that I got, the things that we’ve been doing, I feel very, very confident in that surgical site. We won’t have that problem again.”
Tatum’s confidence will be encouraging for Celtics fans. It means that he should hit the ground running upon his eventual return to the court, at least from a mental standpoint.
Tatum Remains Focused on His Recovery
During a Sept. 23 appearance on TODAY With Jenna and Friends, Tatum noted that a full recovery is the top priority for him and the organization. However, he admitted that he hasn’t ruled out playing this season.
“For me and my team, the doctor, the organization, the most important thing is making the full recovery,” Tatum said. “I haven’t said like, ‘Yo, I’m not playing this season or anything like that.’…I have a goal in my mind. What I will say is I’m not working out, rehabbing six days a week for no reason.”
When Tatum does return to the court, he will have a plethora of new teammates. The Celtics have made multiple cost-cutting moves this summer. Nevertheless, adding Tatum back into the rotation will undoubtedly raise Boston’s ceiling.
Celtics’ Tatum Is Navigating Rehab Hurdles
When speaking with Siddiqi, Tatum also noted some of the additional hurdles he’s having to overcome.
“It was just tough,” Tatum told Siddiqi. “It’s just like, ‘I’m going to rehab six days a week, and I’m working my ass off and giving everything I have.’ It’s just like, ‘I used to be able to jump and dunk on people, and now I’m learning how to do a calf raise again.’ It was things that were tough to deal with because one day I felt invincible. I felt perfectly fine and healthy and strong, and then the next day, you just need help with everything. It’s hard to adjust.”
Tatum is clearly putting in the work to get back to his best. Eventually, that mentality and approach will pay dividends. However, for now, all Tatum can do is continue to trust the process and know that sooner or later, it will all be worth it when he steps back onto the court.
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