When Jayson Tatum did his media tour shortly before the Boston Celtics and teams around the NBA held media day, he matter-of-factly stated while on Today With Jenna & Friends: "I'm not working out, rehabbing six days a week for no reason."
The six-time All-Star even has a return date in mind. His plan is for his first game to be at TD Garden. Since Boston doesn't play on his birthday, Mar. 3, there is no better gift for Tatum than returning to the parquet when the C's host the Charlotte Hornets a day later.
However, Tatum, Celtics fans, and the NBA community may not have to wait that long.
In a recent episode of "The Bill Simmons Podcast," The Ringer's founder and host of the eponymously named show shared, "There's real feelings that Jayson Tatum could be back in January."
A recent Instagram post from the Celtics star, where he's preparing to take the floor for a game, with the caption "soon" and a fingers-crossed emoji, adds fuel to that fire.
The Celtics won't rush Jayson Tatum's return
Perhaps the four-time All-NBA First Team selection is on track to return in January. That would be eight months after he tore his Achilles tendon. His on-court work is encouraging.
However, the one definitive thing in this equation is that the franchise will not rush him back to the lineup. Tatum understands he isn't playing before he's 100 percent, and every box gets checked. He's pushing to get there as quickly as possible, not return before meeting those marks.
When that happens, as Dr. Kevin Stone, an orthopedic surgeon at The Stone Clinic and a leading expert in Achilles tendon repair, told this author, "There's nothing about an Achilles rupture that should prevent him from coming back better than he was before."
Tatum had the surgery the day after sustaining his injury. That's a significant benefit in his recovery. He's only 27, which also helps. And he's relentlessly attacking his rehab.
He's doing everything in his power to ensure he returns to the standard he set for himself before his injury. Maybe he even surpasses that. And when Tatum rejoins the fold, the Celtics, one of the NBA's most pleasant surprises this season, are showing that they're ready to return to championship contention in short order.
Even if that doesn't happen this season, Tatum's recovery and Boston's on-court success are sowing seeds of encouragement for what their future holds.