Jayson Tatum gave a positive update on his difficult rehabilitation process in his first public remarks since rupturing his Achilles in May.
In a video that was shared on the NBA’s official social media accounts, the Celtics player stated that he is improving his recuperation and that he is no longer wearing a walking boot.
“Man, rehab is boring,” Tatum remarked. Every day of the week. Things are beginning to improve a bit. I’m no longer in the boot. There will be better days, but for now, we’re simply trying to live day by day.
There are better days ahead.
Jayson Tatum discusses perseverance when returning to the court.xsGenubrp2 pic.twitter.com/
NBA August 20, 2025 (@NBA)
Late in Game 4 of Boston’s second-round series against the New York Knicks, Tatum sustained the injury. The following day, he had surgery in New York City, and it is anticipated that he will miss a considerable amount of the 2025–2026 season as he recovers.
During recent appearances at a Patriots training camp session and a community event in Rhode Island, the four-time first-team All-NBA selection walked without a boot.
You must have resilience, Tatum stated. I think the first six weeks of this were the most difficult six weeks of my life. I simply had to come to terms with the fact that it had happened, and now I have to make every effort to return to my former self and resume playing.
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It’s still unclear when that will happen. The Celtics have decided not to disclose a potential comeback date for Tatum. If the team, which is not considered a championship contender after cutting Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Luke Kornet, and Al Horford this offseason, struggles in his absence, they will have little incentive to rush him back. However, they have not ruled him out for the entire upcoming season, as the Indiana Pacers did after Tyrese Haliburton suffered the same injury a month later.
In late June, Brad Stevens, president of basketball operations for the Celtics, stated, “We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time.” From our perspective, there is no need to. Right now, it’s small steps. He has really made amazing progress, but I’m not sure what it means in terms of anticipated timescales. And that will be in consultation with him, Phil Coles, Nick Sang, and the other Celtics trainers to ensure that he is healthy and ready to play when he does. And the top priority will be that.
The Celtics appear prepared to accept a decline in performance this season in the hopes of contending again in 2026–2027 with a healthy Tatum, based on their summer actions, the majority of which were directed towards cutting salaries and lowering their luxury tax burden.
According to Stevens, we must put JT’s health first and ensure that he returns completely recovered.
