After suffering a gruesome torn Achilles injury last May, most expected that Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum would miss significant time and perhaps the entire 2025–26 NBA season.
Tatum, however, isn’t ready to let that thought linger.
“First thing, I haven’t said I’m not playing this season. I don't go to rehab six days a week for nothing.” Tatum said on ESPN’s First Take, addressing his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
"I don't go to rehab six days a week for nothing." 👀
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 23, 2025
Jayson Tatum leaves the door open for a return this season 😤
The 27-year-old is now four months into his rehabilitation, and most expected he would miss the season, given that an Achilles injury typically takes a year to heal.
[ALSO READ: News Celtics star Jayson Tatum undergoes surgery after suffering season-ending Achilles injury]
But he has refused to close the door on a comeback, already envisioning how he wants it to unfold.
“Myself, my trainer, my close friends, my mom — I told them a while ago, I put a date on the calendar of when I’ll be 100% ready and able to play,” Tatum said.
He continued: “Whenever that date is, it will be a home game in front of the fans at TD Garden. That is something I’ve dreamed about and envisioned.
"Whenever that date is, it will be a home game in front of the fans at TD Garden." 🙌
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 23, 2025
—Jayson Tatum on when he plans to return from his injury.
His injury came in brutal fashion — late in Game 4 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal against the New York Knicks.
The Celtics briefly rallied in Game 5 back at home but fell in six games, cutting their title defense short.
[ALSO READ: Parity prevails: How the last six NBA champions fared in their title defense]
Getting some helping hands
Tatum wasn’t the only star to go down that spring.
Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard, then with Milwaukee, also suffered devastating setbacks.
[ALSO READ: LIST: Haliburton, Tatum, Lillard, more who suffered Achilles injuries in 2024–25 NBA season]
Since then, Tatum has leaned on fellow injured players, particularly Dejounte Murray and Lillard, for perspective.
“I text Dame and Dejounte all the time because they’re ahead of me, like, ‘What are you doing now? What do your workouts look like now?’” Tatum said.
He continued: "We've all been in communication ... Dejounte, Dame, Tyrese... we're all at different points in our recovery. I text them all the time to ask what can you do, and what are you doing in your workouts. We're all in the same boat, just kind of checking in on each other."
The Celtics open the season on October 23 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.
