Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum still has a long way to go before he can join the team. Tatum is in the middle of his Achilles tendon injury rehab and is likely to miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season. Although the star forward has not ruled out the possibility of playing late in the campaign. But according to head coach Joe Mazzulla, his recuperation from the horrific injury depends only on how his body reacts.
Tatum suffered the injury during the 2025 playoffs against the Orlando Magic. He was one of three stars who had the same setback during the postseason. First, it was Damian Lillard when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks. Tatum came next, then Tyrese Haliburton in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
On Tuesday, Mazzulla was asked about the recovery timeline for the six-time All-Star. According to him, there is no clear timetable for his potential return.
“It’s all up to him,” Mazzulla said via The Athletic’s Jay King. “At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing, his process is the most important thing. You trust him, trust the team that’s around him — he’s got a great team — and then you just kind of go from there. So it kind of just all starts (with) where him and his team think he’s at.”
Although Jayson Tatum has been inactive on the court, he has helped the Celtics in other ways. Mazzulla said that the star forward has been important in the team’s film sessions and has been the vocal leader.
“The only thing I care about is his presence and his leadership,” Mazzulla said. “He’s helping us get better — on the bench, in film sessions, traveling with us. He’s part of our team, and everything else comes down to him and the people around him.”
The Celtics have improved to a 15-9 record thanks to his presence.
Robert Parish has high praise for Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum has accomplished a lot early in his career, earning him praise around the league. Even former NBA stars have been impressed with how his life in the league has turned out. On the Dec. 3 episode of the “View From the Rafters” podcast, former Celtics star Robert Parish called the one-time champion a “generational talent.”
“Jayson is an awesome talent. He’s that generational-type talent,” Parish said. “I just expect nothing but great things to continue to happen, not only for Jayson, but for the Celtics also. Because they’ve got a great leader and he sets a great example, because he does not take nights off.”
"Jayson Tatum…is a GENERATIONAL-type talent."
High praise for JT from @RobertParish00 on the pod: https://t.co/wctAgb6VDJ pic.twitter.com/F8Omg2jnt5
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 9, 2025
Tatum has shown true leadership with the Celtics, as he’s always willing to play for the team. This season, the group is missing his presence on the floor, but that hasn’t stopped them from performing excellently.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
