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Jayson Tatum: ‘I’m in a good spot’ with recovery from Achilles tear
"When the season starts and I'm not out there, that'll be mentally challenging. But you just try to look for bright days when you can get them.”
Jayson Tatum is already an established NBA veteran entering his ninth season in the league.
But the 27-year-old forward is entering uncharted waters this fall, starting with a training camp where he’ll have to watch from afar as his teammates set the groundwork for a new season.
Even though Tatum posted videos this weekend of himself working out on the court, the star forward still has not set any timeline for a return from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“This is new,” Tatum said Monday at Celtics Media Day. “I’m figuring it out as I go. Still very much a part of the team, being at practice and the games and things like that. Obviously I won’t be able to participate at practice, so that’s going to be tough, but just being integrated and being around as much as I can while still rehabbing and getting myself right.”
Despite the arduous nature of rehabbing back from a torn Achilles, Tatum remained upbeat on Monday when asked of the highs and lows that he’s dealt with over the last four months since suffering his injury during the Eastern Conference Semifinals in May.
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“I’m in a really good spot. … So how has it been? It’s been a long journey,” Tatum said. “It’s tough to answer that question in 45 seconds, but I think, for me? There’s been bright spots, and getting back on the court and being able to participate in a basketball workout was definitely one of the more bright spots of this journey.
“It just felt really good to be on the court and dribbling the basketball, going through a workout, feeling like a basketball player again.”
Even though there’s been plenty of hurdles over the last few months, Tatum noted that his long road back has been lifted at various segments as he passed multiple benchmarks.
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“I think the toughest part was at the beginning, just kind of being in disbelief,” Tatum acknowledged. “And for me, I had to accept it. I think at the moment I accepted that this happened and this was going to be a part of my life and my journey, I started to see a turning point.
“But then you’re on crutches, and you have a scooter and the boot, and then you drop one crutch, and then you drop both crutches. And I think at that point, things that you take for granted — you’re walking around, my hands were free, that made me feel a little bit more normal. Getting out of the boot made all the difference.”
As Tatum has continued to make strides in his return to the court, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been there for multiple accomplishments during his rehab process.
For Mazzulla, being a resource for his players during the low points of their respective careers always pays dividends in the dynamic between coaches and his personnel.
“I was there for the first time he walked, I was there for the first time he ran, I was there for the first shot that he took,” Mazzulla said of Tatum. “So I think it’s important. We try to do that for everybody. I think one of the things in the offseason that I like to do is build different relationships with the guys and do different things.
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“So each guy has their own way about how you go about doing that. This summer that was a way to build a relationship with him and it was different for everybody throughout the summer.”
The Celtics and Tatum have yet to map out a definitive timeline for his return, even though the All-Star talent noted last week that he has a return date in mind (one that he won’t share publicly).
There will be tougher days ahead for Tatum as the Celtics open a new season with him stapled to the bench.
But amid a whirlwind couple of months, Tatum is trying to stay focused on the positives — and the ultimate end result.
“Weigh lifting, workouts start to feel a lot more normal. Last week, I was on the court,” Tatum said. “But now it’s a tough spot to be in because the team is practicing tomorrow and I won’t be able to be out there. I’m certain, when the season starts and I’m not out there, that’ll be mentally challenging. But you just try to look for bright days when you can get them.”
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