Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
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Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Not even a year after going down with a torn Achilles, Jayson Tatum returned to the basketball court for the Boston Celtics.
The NBA world found out that Tatum would eventually make his return this season when the star forward was upgraded to questionable against the Dallas Mavericks on March 5.
At that point, the Celtics were well aware of the fact that the season debut was coming for the MVP-caliber forward. Tatum addressed the team on the eve of the matchup. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla came to the conclusion that Tatum has come out of the recovery process better than before.
Joe Mazzulla Speaks On Jayson Tatum’s Pregame Address For Celtics
Boston Celtics
GettyBoston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and the star forward Jayson Tatum have been working together for several seasons.
“It wasn’t just tonight—it was throughout the entire year. You just see even the way he approached his workouts. We had a team meeting yesterday, and he gave a great [speech] and talked a little bit. The way that he talked to his teammates and about his teammates I just think it was… He came out on the other side of this a better person. I know he’ll become a better player, and that’s all you can ask for,” Mazzulla told reporters after Friday’s game.
Every NBA player goes through adversity once or many times throughout their career. When it comes to health and availability, some players are far more fortunate than others.
In Tatum’s case, health was hardly an issue throughout his career. Prior to the 2025-2026 NBA season, Tatum’s career low in games played in a season was 64 in 2020-2021. The season was 10 games short that year, due to the COVID pandemic.
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From the 2021-2022 season on, Tatum exceeded 70 games played for four-straight years.
The recovery from an Achilles setback presented Tatum with the most difficult obstacle to overcome. While the work is far from finished, he was able to shake some rust and put together an impressive first performance against Dallas on Friday.
Tatum checked in for 27 minutes on Friday. He made 37% of his shots from the field, scoring 15 points. He logged a double-double with 12 rebounds and also dished out seven assists.
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The Celtics’ season continues on Sunday afternoon, when they pay a visit to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Ohio. There wasn’t an update on Tatum’s playing status for the matchup, as they are likely waiting to see how his body responds to his first set of NBA action since the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Tatum and the Celtics have just 19 games before they reach the playoffs. As it stands, they are the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Boston is postseason-bound. Therefore, getting Tatum back for as many games as possible is a desirable outcome. However, the Celtics will have to tread lightly. A lot is at stake, and maintaining Tatum’s health is more important than ever.