Feb. 26, 2026, 4:58 p.m. ET
Veteran NBA reporter Shams Charania reported yesterday that star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been playing 5-on-5 basketball with his team, which the Celtics front office has relayed as one of the final steps before the St. Louis native returns from the Achilles tendon injury he sustained vs. the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals.
“I’m told Jayson Tatum is a full go in five-on-five scrimmages with the Celtics,” said Charania on a recent episode of “NBA Countdown” focused in part on the Duke alum. “And right now, it’s about him putting together a number of practices and scrimmages to build up his conditioning and increase the strength in both of his calves.”
“An essential element right now around Jayson Tatum is the hurdle of being 100% mentally ready, 100% confidence in that right leg. Because the common theme from people close to Jayson Tatum has been him getting out there and returning to action is ‘when JT feels like JT'”, added the ESPN reporter.
“And so the Celtics will take … Tatum’s lead,” he continued. “He’s in the driver’s seat. He’s going to be the one to make the decision. The team has not put any pressure on him — think about it, guys. He’s nine months post-Achilles surgery and he’s going full five-on-five.”
“Jayson Tatum throughout all of this for months has just wanted to get us to this point in March where he’s able to make a decision on whether he can play or not. Doctors, team officials, his side. And then … Tatum himself will get in a room eventually and then make a decision about whether he will be able to play or not this season.”
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