Asking Jayson Tatum about his return timeline, Celtics’ roster, Jaylen Brown & more! | NBA Today

Asking Jayson Tatum about his return timeline, Celtics’ roster, Jaylen Brown & more! | NBA Today

I’m one of the best basketball players in the world. Banner number 18 has been secured. Jason Tatum feels disrespected and who’s pissed off. And Tatum is hurt. Jason Tatum has suffered a ruptured right Achilles. When can he look like the Jason Tatum that we’ve been seeing all of these years? Jason Tatum. He led the Celtics in points, in rebounds, and assists last season, and he was averaging 2510 and five in the playoffs before suffering that Achilles injury. In 2025, he was the third time he averaged 2510 and five in the playoffs. He passed Larry Bird for the most in Celtics history. Joining us right now is Celtics star Jason Tatum. Jason, it is so great to see you. I I wanted to start with your Achilles rehab. We just saw a little bit of what happened a couple of months ago. Actually, you reminded us this morning on First Take that it’s been 19 weeks since your injury. Is that right? Uh yeah, every Tuesday is a week. Um so today would be 19 weeks um postsurgery. 19 weeks postsurgery. And you mentioned that there’s been ups and downs. Can you be specific? What are you able to do right now? What does the rehab look like? Uh it’s been it’s been a gradual transition. Uh, I would say right now the period I’m in, um, it’s getting pretty much back to like ramping up basketball workouts. Yesterday, um, yesterday I had my first onc court basketball workout, um, for about 15 to 20 minutes and, uh, it just felt really natural. Um, and it was like a sigh of relief to to be back on the court again. Yeah, that must have felt like a a breath of fresh air. I was reading earlier today um a story in People magazine that you had had talked to people for and you were mentioning that you were with your son Deuce and watching highlights and you turned to him and said, “Do you ever think I’m going to get back to that point again?” What did what did Deuce say to you in that moment? A and how full circle was it to be back on the court? Yeah, Deuce is in second grade now, so he’s reached the iPad status and um all his friends at school watch basketball highlights. So, we were on the couch and he was watching my highlights from like high school and college and he was like, “Daddy, look, look when you did this.” I was like, “Yo, dude, you think daddy ever be able to do that again?” And uh in an innocent way, he looked at me, he was like, “Of course.” Um and you know, I kind I needed that in that moment. Yeah. That’s what sons are for, right? That’s the absolute right answer. Deuce, what’s the next benchmark for you? If you were back on the court now, what’s the next rehab hurdle for you to clear? Uh just to keep gradually increasing, you know, ramping up uh it’s been a long long journey, right? And I just always kind of reflect on, you know, surgery and then um you get your stitches out and then you get your boot and then at four weeks you’re 50% weight bearing. Um, you know, part of the reason I’m here is to, um, announce my partnership with Vert.Ex Pharmaceuticals. There was a period where at four weeks, um, I was introducing new things and, you know, I was starting to feel some discomfort and some pain and that’s when I had a conversation with my doctor and we went through my medical history. Um, and that’s when he prescribed me um, which is a non-opioid medicine for severe to moderate to severe acute pain. Um, and you know, like anything, it has side effects, but that’s why you talk to your doctor. Um, and through that time, you know, I took it and it relieved the pain that I had and it really just kind of gave me a clear mind and and to be confident during that time going into rehab, um, you know, to attack whatever we were trying to do um, at that period. I did love Jason that you have been very clear, especially today as all of us have been saying, well, you’re out for this season, this, that, and the other. That that’s not the way you’re looking at this, right? I keep emphasizing the most important thing is making a full recovery, being 100% before I step back on the floor. I’m working towards something. And like I said, I’m I’m not in the I’m not rehabbing six days a week for no reason. So, you know, we’ll see. Is it this position when we’re going into the playoffs, I’m going to make this push as long as my body’s ready. Is there something in your mind that you’re going to say, “Yep, this is I I have a goal right now.” Absolutely. Myself, my trainer, my close friends, u my mom. I told them a while ago like I I put a date on the calendar of when I will be 100% ready and able to play. Whenever that date is, it will be a home game in front of the fans in TD Garden. That is something that I have, you know, dreamed about and envisioned. And let’s talk about this Celtics roster, the Celtics roster that’s going to be playing in TD Garden because it’s experienced a little bit of turnover this off seasonason. You’ve lost some key pieces to the 2024 title team. What role have you played in being a part of the vision and what can you say about the roster construction currently, the team you’re coming back to eventually? Yeah, I’m I’m super excited about the team that we have. Obviously, you know, throughout this business, throughout the NBA, there’s always going to be change. Um, you know, you you won’t be able to keep the same team forever, but now it’s a it’s a new chapter. It’s a new journey, and I couldn’t be more excited about the team that we have. There’s some people who have suggested, Jason, that, you know, maybe the Celtics this year, take a little step back, get a better lottery positioning, all of that sort of thing. Knowing Joe Missoula, that’s not necessarily how he’s wired. You’re already shaking your head. That’s not how this team is thinking, is it? No, it it’s it’s not even just a Joe thing. It’s a the way our organization is is is ran. It’s the culture that we’ve set, the standard that we have, regardless of who’s on our team. um that we have to go out there every single night and play to that standard and that’s you know the Boston Celtics way and that’s compete for championship. Want to talk about Jaylen Brown. What are you expecting from him? What conversations have you guys had? You’ve been partners for a very long time and he’s going to have to carry the mantle for a little bit without you. No, absolutely. It’s, you know, understanding JB’s allNBA player, finals MVP, he’s won a championship, right? He’s one of the most talented guys in the NBA. Um, you know, it’s now it’s just really being that guy for, you know, a while and understanding that, you know, he’s he’s been in this position before throughout the season. You know, there’s times where guys are out or whatever and you just have a, you know, a bigger role throughout the season. Um, and, you know, now it’s going to be from the beginning. Um, and like I said, between JB and and the rest of those guys that everybody’s going to have, you know, a larger role and and fingerprints going to be more in the game. Uh, but this is what they’re built for. Uh, you know, these guys are champions. Th This did tickle me a a little bit. Did you see Jaylen Brown? He was streaming live over the past weekend. And he was asked if he had one person to call for $100,000 who it would be. Just for viewers who haven’t seen it, check it out. Call Payton real quick. See if he answer. I think Payton going to answer. He ain’t answering, gang. Crazy. Let me see. D. Let me call D. Down. 0 for two. Gang. I just worked out with Nimi. Nimi better pick up. Damn. from Mimi. 0 for three. I’ll smash Jordan in the back of the head. Ch. We 0 for four. G. This is my last one. This is my last line. Did block me. 0 for five. What is going on? Call five teammates and nobody picked up but I forgot I changed my number. He just changed his number. So I saw that the next day and it’s like I ironically I had my phone in my hand and I seen this, you know, unfamiliar number come across my phone. I’m like, “Yo, who is calling me?” Uh, you know, in typical JB fashion to call his teammates but not tell us that he had a new phone number and expect us to to answer. We had a new We had one of our teammates and I made today recently changed their phone number and made sure to text all of us. Hey, this is my new number. Lock it. Would he answer your FaceTime call right now? If you were to FaceTime him, would he pick up? I like to think so. You want to get I mean, is your phone in your pocket? We going to give it a try? So, my phone is downstairs. I don’t have it. I I mean I I think Kendrick Perkins would would answer our FaceTime if we called it right now. I I really appreciate the time, Jason. Thank you so very much. I wish you the best of luck in your continued rehab. Um and shout out the gray sweater gang. Have a great rest of your day. We match. Thank you. [Music] [Applause] Give me [Music] the NBA [Applause]

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum joined me on NBA Today to discuss his Achilles injury return timeline 19 weeks post-surgery and whether the Celtics might take a step back this season in his absence.

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