Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon during the Boston Celtics‘ Eastern Conference semifinals matchup against the New York Knicks. He is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2025-26 season.
Tatum immediately underwent surgery after suffering his injury. He had the procedure within 24 hours, which is far faster than usual. As such, he appears to be making strong progress in his rehabilitation. Recently, he’s been seen walking around without the need for a protective boot.
During a recent post on X, which came via the NBA’s official account, Tatum spoke on his injury for the first time.
“Rehab is, it’s tedious, man,” Tatum said. “It’s six days a week. It’s starting to get a little better. I’m off the boot now. Better days ahead, but just trying to take it one day at a You gotta be resilient. That first six weeks of this was probably the toughest six weeks of any point in my life. Just had to accept it and realize, you know, it happened, and now I gotta do everything in my power to you get back to who I was and, you know, get back to the plan.”
Tatum’s rehab will undoubtedly be a long road. It takes months to fully strengthen a surgically repaired Achilles. Furthermore, he must ensure that his body is strong enough to sustain the ramp-up period that will inevitably follow his eventual medical clearance.
Brian Scalabrine Speaks on Potential Tatum Return
During a recent appearance on the “Celtics Talk” podcast, former Celtics champion Brian Scalabrine explained why bringing Tatum back during the 2025-26 season would be a risky decision.
âThereâs a reason (the NBA season) is 82 games,â Scalabrine said. âJust watch a playoff game and watch a preseason game: Thereâs so many levels in between. Getting thrown back into the middle of a race where youâre trying to get out of the play-in (tournament) and youâre playing these meaningful, high-level games, that is not ideal â not (just) for your Achilles, but for your body. There needs to be some build-up.
Tatum’s injury has led to the Celtics entering a retooling process. Therefore, they’re not expected to be a contending roster next season. Boston would likely be better served showing some patience and ramping him back up next summer.
Tatum Spends Six Days a Week In The Gym
In a recent post to his Instagram story, Tatum explained his current rehab process. He noted how heâs in the gym six days per week with his friend and trainer Nick Sang.
âRehab station, lift after that,â Tatum said. âSix days a week, bro. I ainât in here six days a week for no reason.â
It’s highly unlikely that Tatum is under any sort of pressure to get back on the floor in the near future. That’s what makes his clear commitment to getting his body right and ensuring he’s got a chance to get back to the player he was so admirable.
Tatum is putting himself in the best position possible in terms of success. If he can sustain his current rehabilitation, he should have no problem proving he’s still a top-10 talent in the league within 18 months of being back on the court.
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