Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Reveals Why He Returned This Season originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles injury during the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals. He missed the majority of the 2025-26 season, returning to the Boston Celtics’ rotation on March 6, in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. Before returning to the court, Tatum had been torn on whether to return in-season or wait until the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
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When speaking with the media following Boston’s 109-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, March 27, Tatum was asked about his choice to return for the remainder of the current season and the playoff run that will follow.
“I never wanted to take moments in the season for granted,” Tatum explained. “Just thinking, like, oh, we’ll be good next year. I’ve been fortunate to be on a lot of really good teams. You never want to take for granted the opportunity to be on the team that’s contending for a championship. You could imagine how much I missed playing basketball. The little kid inside me. That is all I’ve wanted to do my entire life.”
“There were a lot of people I talked to to make the decision, knowing that I wasn’t going to be perfect when I first came on the floor. Showing my teammates that I was willing to fight through it and give it my all, even though I wouldn’t be in rhythm or in condition at first. It was going to take some time, but I wanted to be out there with them. And I was going to do whatever it took.”
Despite his struggles in scoring the ball, Tatum has hit the ground running. He’s rebounding at an elite level and is showing rapid improvement in his ability to read the game and manipulate defenses. Once his shots start falling at a more efficient rate, he will be well on the way to getting back to an All-NBA level.
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Nevertheless, we’re unlikely to see Tatum at his best until next season at the earliest. It will take time for his body to adjust back to the rigors of an NBA season, and for the rust he’s carrying to be completely shaken off.
Still, Tatum’s willingness to play through the frustrations and to work as hard as he did to get back on the floor should be commended. There are different types of leadership, and Tatum’s dedication to getting out on the court and helping his team is one of them.
Boston is a better team with Tatum in the rotation, even the version of Tatum that’s still working his way back to his best.
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