As Jayson Tatum told reporters several times at Tuesday’s media availability, it’s been 39 weeks since he underwent surgery to repair his torn Achilles tendon. Achilles injuries require a long, grueling battle through rehab in order to ensure a return to peak performance.
It’s a road that begins in an unfamiliar place. Someone who is one of the world’s best athletes, like Tatum, has to start from square one. Regaining the ability to walk and move around is a big step in itself. Nevermind the long climb that comes after that.
“Mentally it’s been tough -- it’s been exhausting,” the Celtics star said of the process, via CLNS Media. “I can’t stress it enough; it’s been 39 weeks. There’s been a lot of different phases throughout this process.”
As Tatum has continued to check the boxes, as Brad Stevens put it earlier this week, he’s been able to lean on his wide network of friends and family for support.
“You know, the organization has been there to support me -- friends, family, the whole nine. So I’ve had a lot of support throughout this journey.”
Tatum practiced with the G-League Celtics on Monday
Of course, Tatum’s first media availability since September’s Media Day came after he was assigned to the Maine Celtics to participate in portions of their Monday practice. Tatum’s G-League run went well, according to him.
“It was good, it was just kinda good to be out there,” he shared. “I had a jersey on. It felt good to be a part of a team at a practice and go through reps and stuff.”
Jayson Tatum shared the report of his Maine Celtics practice to his IG story. You can also see his custom G League jersey:
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) February 10, 2026
(Via @jaytatum0 on IG) pic.twitter.com/LwGKj4tXjx
“It was great to see him take another step,” Joe Mazzulla told reporters at the Auerbach Center, via CLNS Media.
What exactly happened during the practice wasn’t made public. The most logical guess is that Tatum scrimmaged with the G-League Cs, as well as rookies Hugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams, who were also assigned to Maine for the run.
Tatum's absence has given him almost too much time to worry about what a return looks like
This step came just over a week after Tatum’s appearance on The Pivot podcast, where he expressed some doubt about his fit within this season’s Celtics team. It was a moment, as he described it, of allowing himself to be vulnerable and share that perspective.
“Over 39 weeks, you have a lot of time on your hands,” Tatum explained. “You think about a lot of things, and you’re just hyperaware of what’s going on. It just stems from that. Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and what I bring to the team. But I’m also aware that these guys have been playing extremely well -- not to say I’d come and mess it up or anything like that. It was just kind of being vulnerable for a moment and talking from that perspective.”
Through 53 games without Tatum this season, Boston is 34-19 and sits third in the Eastern Conference. Just about every player on the roster has met or exceeded expectations. Sure there may be a “one step back, two steps forward” type of stretch if/when Tatum does return, but there’s realistically no way adding him is a bad thing for this squad.
If there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that no one wants Tatum to be back on the court more than he does.
“It’s been tough not being able to play and compete. You know how much I love this game and love being out there. But I’ve also grown an appreciation for the game and my teammates.”