Historically, a rupture of the Achilles tendon is the beginning of the end of any athlete’s career. Nobody remains the same after an Achilles tear. Kevin Durant and Dominique Wilkins are notably the only superstars to return and play at the same elite level they once did. So, Jayson Tatum is right to be worried. However, with the bets firmly placed against him, the Celtics star is putting his faith in his rehabilitation process.
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May 12, 2025, was a very sad day for the Boston Celtics. Tatum injured his Achilles tendon during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks. That injury put the nail in the coffin on the Celtics’ championship hopes. What’s worse, it meant major ramifications for the team and Tatum’s future.
However, since that time, whenever Tatum has spoken with the public, he has displayed a refreshing level of optimism. In a recent appearance on ESPN’s First Take, Tatum stated, “I haven’t said I’m not playing this season.”
Words such as those align with the way Tatum has carried himself his entire life. However, the 2024 NBA champion would be lying if he claimed he didn’t have any moments of doubt, especially in the beginning stages.
“I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘I always believed,’ because I didn’t,” Tatum said in an interview with Lorenzo Reyes. “I remember telling my mom, ‘This might be it.'”
That specific conversation between his mother was when Tatum couldn’t even imagine walking normally again. That didn’t even factor in all the work required for the level of player he was.
“It’s just going to be so much I’ve got to do to get back to playing,” Tatum revealed. “One of the toughest things for me was everybody was like, ‘You’re going to come back better than ever.’ Well, I was already First Team All-NBA. You don’t even know how hard I worked to be at that. Now, I’ve got to start all the way over,” the Celtics star added.
Tatum eventually learned that way of thinking would only keep him in a state of misery. It wasn’t about making progress through this journey all at once, but taking gradual steps toward the goal at the end of the tunnel.
“I’ve realized I can’t look too far ahead. Then I’ll get discouraged. Can I feel more confident today than I did yesterday? That’s all I kind of try to do,” Tatum said.
Tatum’s tremendous outlook on basketball and his life is a large testament to how he’s reached the heights he has at his young age. It will play a factor in this next chapter of his career. Thankfully, the people who helped raise Tatum to be the man he currently is are still in his corner today.
“I would just call my grandma, just crying. This is a lot. She would sit there, she’d talk with me, she’d pray with me, she would cry with me,” Tatum said.
No matter what, Tatum is not alone in this journey. He has a strong support system consisting of his immediate circle. In addition, Tatum has the entire basketball world supporting him as he makes his long-awaited return to basketball.
