NBA insider shares Jayson Tatum’s thinking on his recovery timeline

Celtics

“This is the first time he’s ever had an injury like this before.”

Jayson Tatum is looking at a long road back to the court after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon. 

But could the Celtics’ superstar forward potentially return before the end of Boston’s 2025-26 season?

The Celtics noted in their statement following Tatum’s procedure that “no timetable is currently available for his return.” 

But on ESPN’s NBA Today on Wednesday, Marc Spears of Andscape reported on some of conversations that Tatum has shared with his family over the last few days, including a nugget about his potential recovery timeline. 

“His dad [Justin Tatum] said he expects to be out 8-9 months,” Spears said on ESPN’s NBA Today Wednesday.

An eight to nine-month recovery for Tatum could potentially put him in play for a return to the court in January or February of 2026. 

But it remains to be seen if that timetable would hold firm over what stands to be a daunting road to recovery for the Celtics’ top player. 

After Kobe Bryant ruptured his Achilles on April 12, 2013 — he returned to game action just eight months later on Dec. 8, 2013. However, Bryant only played 107 total games over his final three seasons before injuries forced him to retire.

Kevin Durant tore his Achilles on June 10, 2019 in the 2019 NBA Finals, forcing him to miss the entire 2019-20 season. He did not return to the court in a game until Dec. 22, 2020 — only playing 35 games that season. 

Despite missing 18 months of action, Durant did regain his form as one of top scorers in the league. Since the 2021-22 season, Durant has averaged 36.7 minutes, 28.0 points, and 6.6 rebounds per game over the last four years.

As Tatum braces for an arduous rehab, Spears shared more insight into the conversations between Tatum and his father after suffering the injury on Monday night.

“Jayson ended up giving him a call once he was able to,” Spears said of Tatum’s father. “They cried on the phone together. Jayson was asking him, ‘Why me, Dad? Why me? Why does this have to happen to me?’ And he said, ‘Son, this is God’s will. You’re young. You’re going to get through this.’ 

“And he reminded him that, ‘Isn’t Kobe your idol? Kobe got through this.’ …  “He said that the thing he’s most concerned about is his son mentally. This is the first time he’s ever had an injury like this before. He’s not worried about the physical; his son’s not even 30 yet. But it’s the mental part, and he feels like each day, he’ll get better.”

Conor Ryan

Sports Writer

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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