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Jayson Tatum’s return to an NBA court appears to be coming much sooner than anyone expected.
The Boston Celtics superstar could be dressed as early as Friday, marking nearly 10 months since he tore an Achilles against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, according to ESPN.
The Celtics will face Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks on Friday at TD Garden, and Tatum is expected to be out there with his teammates for the first time since his injury.
Tatum was officially listed as questionable on the Celtics’ injury report.
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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum claps off the bench in the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden on March 4, 2026. (Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe)
Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, noted that his star guard would not be cleared until he was definitely ready to play, both physically and mentally.
That’s especially the case considering the Celtics don’t need Tatum to rush back. They are 41-21, which gives them the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Tatum also noted that he would like to return to a home game.
Boston has had players step up in Tatum’s absence, including his counterpart Jaylen Brown. Brown has shouldered the scoring load, averaging 28.9 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and five assists.
Derrick White has added 17.3 points per game. game while working on the defensive end with 1.2 steals.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum walks off the court after Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. (Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe)
And the Celtics have had Payton Pritchard (16.8 points, 5.3 assists) and Anfernee Simons (14.2 points) help the team every night.
The 28-year-old Tatum returning is nothing short of remarkable considering the average Achilles rehab period is 9-12 months, and it’s usually on the later end of the timeline.
As Tatum looks to return, he was well aware of how good his team has been in his absence. He has been seen on the bench cheering on his teammates all season and will seamlessly work his way back into the rotation.
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on January 19, 2026 in Detroit. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
“I’m just hyper aware of what’s going on. I think it would just stem from that,” he said, according to NBA.com. “Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and bring to the team. But I also realize that these guys have played extremely well.”
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