Jayson Tatum repeatedly referred to Al Horford as his favorite teammate. It stems from the latter helping a burgeoning star from Duke acclimate upon his arrival to the Association.
"It was somebody that really took me under their wing," shared Tatum during a year the Boston Celtics capped with banner 18. "I just always remember he would periodically and (at) random times throughout my first year, (he) would ask me, 'How am I doing? How am I adjusting?' And it was somebody I really respected in the way that he went about his work. He was never late; always on time; always getting his work in, in the gym. Always taking care of his body.
"I learned a lot from him from a routine standpoint, and as I've gotten older, our relationship has grown. It's based off [of] respect: the respect that I have for him and likewise. And we know we need each other. And even when I was 19 and now, he still asks me questions, asks me, "How am I feeling? and 'How's my body?' That's who I sit next to on the plane. So, Al's like my favorite teammate I ever had."
Horford leaving for the Golden State Warriors this offseason doesn't sever the bond between the two. And as the Celtics' former elder statesman, who once took a young Tatum under his wing, watches him rehab from a torn Achilles, like everyone else, he's amazed by the progress he has made on his road to recovery.
"Just so impressed with him because from everything that I've heard from that type of injury, it's just extremely difficult," said Horford before a 121-110 loss to his former team on Thursday night.
"He's the type of guy that -- he refuses to sit. He always wanted to play, and he always wants to compete. So, I've just been so impressed -- with such a tough injury. I know that the medical group there, I know Nick Sang and all the medical staff over there, Phil Coles, they've been doing a really good job with him because I don't think anybody expected that he was gonna be at this level so quickly. So, I'm very proud of him. Very proud to see that."
Al Horford's proper perspective as Tatum return rumors swirl
When NBC chose to flex the Celtics' matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden on Mar. 1Â into a prime-time national TV window, that game became the leader in the clubhouse for when Tatum returns.
NBC added fuel to the flames when it announced that it is releasing a docuseries called "The Quiet Work." In five installments, the series will follow the four-time All-NBA First Team selection as he continues his rehab. The docuseries airs on Sunday nights on NBC.
The five-time All-Star recently participated in portions of a Maine Celtics practice. At All-Star weekend, teammate Ron Harper Jr., who was a part of that session at the Auerbach Center, told Justin Termine of SiriusXM NBA, "He looked like Jayson Tatum, I'll say that much."
However, while strong signs are pointing towards Tatum returning this season, there is a fluidity to this situation that one must respect. If this feels rushed to him, as much as he wants to come back ASAP, it would be understandable if he ultimately determines that it's best in the long term to wait until the 2026-27 campaign.
Regardless of the next time the star forward steps out onto the TD Garden parquet in uniform, Horford is proud of his fortitude and the work that has gone into even making Tatum's potential return this season a realistic possibility.
"His mental strength is really showing there, because his ability to be at this point already, that he's practicing and everybody's talking about that he's possibly going to play -- and even if he doesn't play, just the fact that how much progress he has made and the way that he has come is very impressive."