Star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum shed some more light on how he bounced back from his Achilles tendon injury sustained in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs vs. the New York Knicks, focusing on his eventual return to the court and how he got to that moment.
Speaking in a recent interviewwith the eponymous host of the "Dan Patrick Show," Tatum talked about what it was like to come back from such a severe injury and the support he had from peers along the way. "I obviously talked to (Kevin Durant), Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Halliburton," said the St. Louis native.
"We were all … Dame (Lillard) was (injured with an Achilles tendon tear) a few weeks before me. Tyrese Halliburton was a few weeks after me. I talked to Dame a lot just
because he was three, four weeks ahead of me, so I was curious about how his transition was, what his next steps were. All of us being in the same boat around the same time, (we were) being helpful to each other."
Tatum shared that even with such stellar (and informed on a personal level) support, he was apprehensive returning to the court. "I was nervous …," he recalled.
"I was anxious. To be honest, I was nervous every game that I played in this past season. I think I played in 20 or 21, including the playoffs … it had been a long time. But I was glad I went out there. I proved to myself, even if I was at 80 percent … that I could be effective. And I knew that given a long offseason, that I would be back to myself this October."
The Duke alum also spoke about overcoming the psychological aspect of returning from such a devastating injury.
"Physically, in this day and age, especially in professional sports with the best trainers and doctors and modern medicine, physically you're going to recover and you're going to be clear at the plate," explained Tatum.
"It's all it's the mental hurdle that is the toughest, and that is different for everyone and it just takes time. And only you can understand and know when you're 100 percent ready, when you're confident; nobody else can do that for you."
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum shed more light on Achilles return
