Duke Blue Devils legend Jayson Tatum has received a warning from a Boston Celtics executive regarding his injury return.
Duke Blue Devils legend Jayson Tatum is working his way back from a torn Achilles, probably the worst injury any basketball player could suffer.
Tatum sustained the injury during last year's NBA playoffs, so many expected the Boston Celtics to play the entire 2025-26 campaign without him.
However, ever since the summer, momentum has been building toward an early Tatum return, with some even circling February as a possibility.
The Celtics' decision to acquire Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline then had people wondering if a Tatum return was imminent, but Boston president Brad Stevens has put the kibosh on that speculation.
While discussing Tatum, Stevens made it clear that the C's will only put him back on the floor if he is more than 100 percent prepared.
“It’s best for Jayson to come when he’s 110 percent healthy, he’s fully cleared by everybody that matters in that decision, and he’s got great peace of mind and ready to do it,” Stevens told reporters. “That’s it. That’s the objective, and that’s what we’re going to stick with.”
Jayson Tatum. Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images.Essentially, Tatum is not going to be able to rush his recovery; the Celtics won't allow that. He will only be permitted to return to the court if it makes sense, and it's entirely possible — if not probable — that it won't be this season.
Tatum spent one year at Duke in 2016-17, averaging 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He was then selected by Boston with the third overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft and has gone on to establish himself as a star.
The 27-year-old has made six All-Star appearances while earning four First-Team All-NBA selections. Most importantly, he led the Celtics to a championship in 2024.
Tatum boasts career averages of 23.6 points, 7.3 boards and 3.8 assists a night on 45.9/37.0/84.0 shooting splits.
The St. Louis native also accepted a position as the Blue Devils' chief basketball officer before the start of this college basketball season.
Tatum is one of the greatest players to ever hail from Duke and landed a massive five-year, $314 million contract extension from Boston during the summer of 2024.
It's imperative that both he and the Celtics get his return right.
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