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BOSTON — On May 12, 2025, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles in front of the entire basketball world at Madison Square Garden during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Cameras flashed around him and every second of his agonizing injury was caught on video.
A full year later, Tatum is out of the public eye at the moment, as the Celtics fell to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, jumpstarting an early offseason. A lot has happened since Tatum went down last May, including a lengthy rehab process, a return to play in March, a resurgence in the playoffs, and untimely knee discomfort keeping him out of Game 7 against the Sixers.
The journey to get back to full strength continues for the six-time All-Star, even with the first-round exit. But right now, Tatum is simply happy to be able to take the court again and he celebrated the milestone of being one year removed from injury (and surgery) on Tuesday:
Although he couldn't finish the series versus the Sixers and was admittedly not 100 percent, Tatum still averaged 23.3 points per game in the postseason — the second-most for the Celtics behind fellow star Jaylen Brown.
And despite the absence of a storybook ending for his 2025-26 campaign, Tatum managed to regain his confidence and is glad he didn't sit for the whole season.
"I'm proud of the fact I was able to prove to myself that I can still play this game at a very, very high level, even not being 100 percent of myself," Tatum said in his exit interview at the beginning of May.
While the team surrounding Tatum might change this summer, the franchise cornerstone can instead focus on what he can control: getting stronger and preparing for late October.
"Getting an extended period of time to 'deload' and take some time off and come back next season...110 percent ready," Tatum said of his long offseason. "I'm excited about that."
Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:
Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp
iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47
YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is now a year removed from his Achilles rupture
Continue reading...
A full year later, Tatum is out of the public eye at the moment, as the Celtics fell to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, jumpstarting an early offseason. A lot has happened since Tatum went down last May, including a lengthy rehab process, a return to play in March, a resurgence in the playoffs, and untimely knee discomfort keeping him out of Game 7 against the Sixers.
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The journey to get back to full strength continues for the six-time All-Star, even with the first-round exit. But right now, Tatum is simply happy to be able to take the court again and he celebrated the milestone of being one year removed from injury (and surgery) on Tuesday:
Although he couldn't finish the series versus the Sixers and was admittedly not 100 percent, Tatum still averaged 23.3 points per game in the postseason — the second-most for the Celtics behind fellow star Jaylen Brown.
And despite the absence of a storybook ending for his 2025-26 campaign, Tatum managed to regain his confidence and is glad he didn't sit for the whole season.
"I'm proud of the fact I was able to prove to myself that I can still play this game at a very, very high level, even not being 100 percent of myself," Tatum said in his exit interview at the beginning of May.
While the team surrounding Tatum might change this summer, the franchise cornerstone can instead focus on what he can control: getting stronger and preparing for late October.
"Getting an extended period of time to 'deload' and take some time off and come back next season...110 percent ready," Tatum said of his long offseason. "I'm excited about that."
Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:
Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp
iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47
YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is now a year removed from his Achilles rupture
Continue reading...
