The Dallas Mavericks will host the Boston Celtics on Friday, and Jayson Tatum could make his long-awaited return.
Two things can be true: Jayson Tatum is one of the best players in the world and a proven winner. He is also unbelievably corny.
On Friday, he has an opportunity to cement himself as both elite and cringeworthy in the same game, and the Dallas Mavericks will be on the receiving end.
After tearing his Achilles tendon in the 2025 NBA playoffs, Tatum was expected to be out for the entire season. On top of that, his Boston Celtics were expected to be putrid. Instead, he is nearing a return, and Boston is second place in the Eastern Conference, remaining title contenders despite Tatum's injury and the offseason departure of Luke Kornet, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday.
Jayson Tatum to Add to Memorable Moments
When the Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals over the Mavericks, Tatum had his fair share of "memorable" moments.
During the celebration, he copied (ripped off?) Kanye West's "I guess we'll never know," Stephen Curry's "what are they going to say now?" and Kevin Garnett's "anything is possible" moments. Fans, naturally, were quick to see any display of emotion as disingenuous.
On Thursday, the Boston Celtics posted on social media, "Injury Report for tomorrow vs. DAL: Jayson Tatum - Right Achilles Repair - QUESTIONABLE."
Now, if that were any player other than Tatum, fans wouldn't read too much into it. But since Ttaum has a history of paying homage to former players, it's easy to see it as similar to Michael Jordan's "I'm back" message.
In December 2013, Kobe Bryant--Tatum's favorite player--made an emotional return from the same injury. Will Tatum copy some Mamba mannerism in his return game on Friday?
Does it matter?
At the end of the day, Tatum and the Celtics are playing for a high seed in the playoffs. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are playing for draft odds. It's easy to dismiss Tatum (as I did for 300 words) as "corny" or "unoriginal," but he's one of the best players on the planet. The NBA is better when he's a part of the product.
With less than 12 hours until tipoff at the time of writing, I'd be willing to bet Tatum will make his season debut. I'm also willing to bet that Boston's title odds will skyrocket after he is officially made available.