When four-time All-NBA superstar Jayson Tatum hit the floor in Game Four of the Boston Celtics’ second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks on May 12, he clutched at his heel and even casual observers could see that something was deeply wrong with the 27-year-old’s Achilles tendon.
Sure enough, that is exactly what had taken place. Tatum underwent surgery to repair the tendon within mere hours of the calamitous injury.
The Celtics’ chances to repeat as NBA champions evaporated right there â and most observers and Celtics fans prepared for the worst. Namely, that Tatum would miss the entire 2025-2026 season as well.
But a new report by two Boston sports radio hosts on Thursday raised the Celtics’ hopes that their star â the No. 3 overall NBA draft pick in 2017 who has never played on a Celtics team that failed to make the playoffs â could be back much earlier than expected, possibly even by the end of the upcoming season.
Celtics ‘Very Happy’ With Tatum Rehab
The two hosts, Marc “Beetle” Bertrand and former New England Patriots backup quarterback Scott Zolak of the Boston-area station 98.5 said that they obtained the information on Wednesday night when they went to dinner with Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who gave them the optimistic assessment of Tatum’s progress recovering from the injury.
“The Celtics are very happy with how hard Jayson Tatum has been working at his rehab, and his level of focus and intensity in the rehab process,” Bertrand said on the broadcast, citing the coach. “Since the injury, he has not left town and he has been inside the building at the Celtics facility with their people and their team every day, Monday through Friday, almost every single day. For months.”
Unusual For Tatum to Remain in Boston
Bertrand noted that it is highly unusual for athletes to undergo their rehab process in their team’s facility, with most preferring to do the work in Florida or Arizona. But Tatum has remained based at the Celtics facility in the Greater Boston area.
“He said he is taking trips. He’ll go away to a certain island or something, but he’ll get his Friday workout in, fly down, workout there at that place, fly back late Sunday night and be back right in the building on Monday morning,” Bertrand added.
Tatum Teammate Also Has Upbeat Report
The Bertrand report echoed the report given earlier this month by Tatum’s Celtics teammate, Jordan Walsh â the team’s 2023 second-round draft pick â who also gave an encouraging update on the six-time All-Star’s recovery from the Achilles tear.
“We’ve seen him so often. I’ve seen him from when he messed up his Achilles to now, and it’s a big difference,” Walsh said on September 5, as quoted by NBC Sports Boston. “He’s moving around way better. So, he’s progressing well. I’m definitely happy to see him getting back healthy.”
The Celtics were forced to largely dismantle the team that won a title in 2024 and went on to win 61 games the next season, due to the NBA’s new “second apron” restrictions. But if their revised roster can somehow make their way into the playoffs, a return by Tatum could make a big difference.
“Iâve said this since the week after the injury. The timeline tells us itâs perfectly reasonable that Tatum could return for a playoff run this season,” wrote Raise the Banner Podcast host Matt Couture, after the 98.5 report. “Get into the playoffs and who knows?”
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