Jayson Tatum broke his media silence this week, providing an update on his Achilles recovery while also praising the Boston Celtics’ continued dominance without him.
The Celtics star, who has been sidelined since rupturing his Achilles tendon during last postseason, recently practiced with the Maine Celtics.
While the session sparked speculation about a potential return, Tatum made it clear that no decision has been made.
“It doesn’t mean I’m coming back or not,” Tatum said.
Instead, Tatum described the G League practice as another milestone in what has been a lengthy and demanding recovery process.
“I’m feeling good,” Tatum said. “It was good to be a part of practice yesterday with the Maine G-League guys. Today is 39 weeks, so it’s been a long journey. Had a jersey on. Just felt good to be a part of a team, and practice, go through reps, stuff like that.”
Tatum admitted the mental side of watching from the sidelines has been challenging but rewarding in new ways.
“It’s been tough not being able to play and compete,” he said. “You know how much I love this game. I love being out there. But I’ve also grown an appreciation for the game, for my teammates, and just guys around the league, sitting back and being able to watch guys take their next step, it’s been kind of cool to see.”
Despite missing their franchise cornerstone, the Celtics have remained one of the league’s top teams this season.
Tatum said he has not been surprised by Boston’s success and praised his teammates for stepping into larger roles.
“It’s been great… I knew what they were capable of,” Tatum said. “Whenever somebody that loves the game that much, and works as hard as they do, gain more opportunity, I’m not surprised [by] what they’ve been able to accomplish. It’s been really fun to see.”
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