Bill Simmons put on his conspiracy hat while watching NBC\u2019s coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend and thinks he\u2019s sussed out when Jayson Tatum will return to the Boston Celtics\u2019 lineup.<\/p>\n
On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, he and Zach Lowe were discussing the basketball weekend that was when Simmons admitted that he thinks NBC gave away that Tatum is returning on March 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if you saw this over the weekend. Celtics and Sixers on Sunday night, March 1st. Moved from six to eight p.m. That got a hmm,\u201d Simmons said. \u201cThen randomly, during breaks between the third and fourth [All-Star] game, a three-minute Jayson Tatum comeback video<\/a> about his journey set up in a way that made me super suspicious that NBC and him are working together in some way\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Simmons said he\u2019d already been hearing the first week of March as when Tatum might return.<\/p>\n \u201cConspiracy Bill has also noted that if you go on any ticket resale site for the Dallas March 6th game, the prices are way out of whack,\u201d Simmons added. \u201cAnd it can\u2019t just be that Cooper Flagg is coming to town. So it\u2019s really starting to look like March 1st or March 6th, but my money would be on March 1st now for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Bill Simmons believes NBC\u2019s Tatum doc tease hinted at his return date:<\/p>\n \u201cBetween the third and fourth [All-Star] game, a three-minute Jayson Tatum comeback video about his journey made me super suspicious that NBC and he are working together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d been hearing first week of\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/PnpzyqDi8u<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SleeperCeltics (@SleeperCeltics) February 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Tatum hasn\u2019t seen any NBA action since Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals when he tore his Achilles. Boston has overperformed this season without him (35-19). While Tatum has said he still hasn\u2019t decided if he\u2019ll come back this season or wait until the 2026-27 campaign, his potential return now could put them over the top as a legitimate championship contender.<\/p>\n Is Simmons reading too much into the NBC tea leaves? Probably? Tatum\u2019s return is imminent, and it would make sense to get him back in front of national audiences during All-Star Weekend. And the Celtics have played so well that game against the Sixers would be worthy of primetime with or without him.<\/p>\n If anything, it\u2019s likely that Simmons and NBC are just picking up the same vibes and attempting to adjust accordingly for Tatum\u2019s return. Not to mention that \u201csuper suspicious\u201d video was part of a larger docuseries<\/a>. No grand conspiracy needed.<\/p>\n Though if Tatum does return on March 1, we\u2019re sure Simmons will be taking a victory lap on this prediction that came true.<\/p>\n \t