Last week, Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum returned to the court after nearly 300 days recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. His return was made in record time. Typically, an Achilles injury can take over a year to heal in order for a player to get back to playing. Since the day after his injury, Tatum was already on the operating table, ready to get himself back to form. And it’s back to form he has been since his return, now two games in. Sure, he still has to get his legs up under him. Yes, his efficiency isn’t quite where it used to be, but it will come. He is beating people off the dribble and hitting the easy ones. He’s clearly on his way.
A sigh of relief
It’s really hopeful to see that there isn’t a tangible drop off with Tatum on the court as yet. But truthfully, time will still tell how successful this return will be. One of the greatest returns in NBA history from an Achilles tear was with Kevin Durant. He was gone for 18 months before he played again. And honestly, you couldn’t have asked for a better return. His game hasn’t dropped off a lick. But in most cases, players aren’t the same after Achilles injuries.
From Kobe Bryant, Klay Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins, things simply change after such an injury. Player genetics and rehab program, I’m sure, play a part. Even a player’s age has a significant impact on recovery. But the bottom line is that there is no promise that you’ll come back to your level or beyond it, once you recover. One of the most fascinating things about the NBA champion’s return to the floor is that he was just one of three huge injuries of the ilk last season. Even more fascinating is that they all occurred in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Damian Lillard, then of the Milwaukee Bucks and Tyrese Haliburton both suffered ruptured Achilles tendons as well. All of these players who did play with calf strains last season also understood the potential for injury. They all played anyway; they believed the risk would be worth it.
Three is a crowd
Neither Lillard nor Haliburton has returned to the court as yet, and that could be for a couple of reasons. For one, both the Trailblazers and Pacers don’t have realistic playoff chances, whereas the Celtics sit at second in the Eastern Conference currently. Secondly, they simply could not be ready yet. Although Lillard won the 2026 All-Star Saturday Night’s Three Point Contest. But that makes Tatum’s return, this soon, that much more impressive.
The elephant in the room with all of this is clearly the prospect of reinjuring the same tendon for Tatum. That skepticism only exists because we have quite literally never seen as successful a return from this injury, this soon. So, the question of whether or not it’s worth it will continue until the conclusion of Boston’s season. The team thrived for over 50% of the season without him. Conventional wisdom might have said to be conservative and just wait a full year. The beauty in this, however, is that there’s an NBA player here who is available to play in Tatum and decides to. Talk about a throwback, right? I can totally respect that.
It has been a joy seeing Tatum back at it on the court. Whenever he plays the Knicks, he can kick rocks. But I certainly want him to leave these games unscathed after such a catastrophic injury. What a tribute to how far the world of medicine has come, as Tatum has put in the time and made some history in his own personal way. As for the Celtics, as a New Yorker, you should know exactly how we feel about them. But I’d want the guys to leave the Garden with their wheels intact.
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