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During the postseason, Jayson Tatum's career took a horrific turn for the worse after picking up an Achilles injury. As he continues his journey to recovery, he reflected on where he was at mentally upon going down against the New York Knicks.
Since being drafted third overall in 2017, Tatum has become one of the game's top players. He was set to try and lead the Boston Celtics to back-to-back titles last season before things reached an abrupt stop. Now, he finds himself set to miss most of the 2026 campaign.
In a recent interview with People magazine, Jayson Tatum recalled the night she suffered his injury. He fought with a lot of negative thoughts, wondering if this setback could completely derail everything he had built.
"I literally sat there and cried for two hours 'cause so many things ran through my mind: 'Damn, is my career over? Am I going to get traded? Are all my partners going to drop me?' My basketball career flashed in front of my eyes," Tatum said. "I’m in my prime, one of the best basketball players in the world, and it felt like it was all taken away."
Since Tatum underwent surgery to repair his Achilles, he's been working diligently to return to form for the Celtics and Salvage his prime.
Jayson Tatum eyeing a return to action this season
Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, where the Boston Celtics played against the New York knicks. His injury is expected to put him out of action for the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA Season, but Tatum is not closing the door on a return this season.
During his interview with The Today Show on Wednesday, Tatum said that he is not rushing his process of recovery. Yet, he remained open to the possibility of returning to the Celtics this year.
“Not rushing it. But I haven't said like, 'Yo, I'm not playing this season,' or anything like that," he said.
Tatum underwent a surgery to repair his ACL in May, making him four months into his recovery. The usual timeline for such an injury in the NBA is a season-long layoff.
Tatum led the Celtics to the 2024 NBA championship, before being bounced out last season in six matches against the Knicks.
Last year, he registered 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 60 assists per game in 72 matches during the regular season.
The Celtics have constructed their squad with the assumption of Tatum not returning this season. The team has since traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, both of whom have played crucial roles in the title race.
The Celtics finished second in the East last season with 61 wins against 21 defeats.
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