Boston Celtics
“It was the next step. Doesn’t mean that I’m coming back or I’m not. It’s just following the plan.”
Jayson Tatum took another step forward in his recovery from an Achilles tear on Monday, taking part in practices with the Maine Celtics at the Auerbach Center in Brighton.
But, speaking to reporters for the first time since Media Day on Tuesday, Tatum did not offer any reassurances or commitments that he will be back on the parquet floor at some point during the 2025-26 season.
“I’m feeling good,” Tatum said. “It was good to be a part of practice yesterday with the Maine G League guys. [Tuesday] is 39 weeks, so it’s been a long journey. And 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.”
Tatum — who ruptured his Achilles tendon during the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks in May 2025 — has been ahead of schedule when it comes to his arduous rehab journey.
Back in October, he posted videos of himself dunking on the court at the Auerbach Center, and he held an hour-long workout session in front of reporters in Detroit last month.
Still, Tatum acknowledged that his return back to the court has been one of the most daunting challenges of his career.
“Mentally it’s been tough. It’s been exhausting,” Tatum said. “I can’t stress it enough, it’s been 39 weeks. It’s been a lot of different phases throughout this process. But, the organization has been there to support me, friends, family, the whole nine. I’ve had a lot of support throughout this.”
While he’s been sidelined all season, Tatum has been a regular presence at games and practices, even traveling on multiple road trips with a Celtics team that has defied expectations.
Despite playing without Tatum and overhauling most of its roster over a painful offseason, the Celtics are currently tied with the Knicks for second place in the Eastern Conference with a 34-19 record.
“These are like my brothers. I know I’m injured and not playing, but I’d like to think I’m still very much part of the team,” Tatum said. “When you’re out and injured you can feel isolated because you’re not playing, so just being around, encouraging them, and being around as much as possible is good for me and my spirits.”
Tatum drew some headlines with his comments during an appearance on “The Pivot” podcast last month, with the Celtics star forward admitting he had some reservations about returning this season as he continued to make progress in his recovery.
“That’s something I contemplate every day,” Tatum told Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor, and Channing Crowder when asked of rejoining the current team. “More so about the team. If or when I do come back this season, they will have played 50 some-odd games without me, so they have an identity this year or things that they’ve felt have clicked for them. And it’s been successful. They’re the [second] team in the East up to this point.
“So there is a thought in my head, like, how does that work? Or how does that look with me integrating myself off the injury … 50, 60 games into a season? There obviously could be some challenges. And it is a thought: Do I come back? Should I wait? It’s something that I honestly, recently, in the last two weeks or so just kind of contemplate every single day.”
Tatum clarified some of those comments on Tuesday, noting that he’s had plenty of time to ponder his best path moving forward this season.
“Over 39 weeks, you have a lot of time on your hands,” Tatum said. “You think about a lot of things, and you’re just hyper-aware of what’s going on. And I think it would just stem from that. Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and bring to the team, but I’m also aware that these guys have been playing extremely well.
“And not to say that I would come and mess it up or anything like that. It was just kind of being vulnerable, I guess, for a moment, and talking from that perspective.”
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