Tatum commented on his body during his Achilles tendon recovery: “As strong as ever”

According to F/W contributor Gautam Varyl, Boston Celtics superstar Jason Tatum has actively adjusted his situation during the recovery from a torn Achilles tendon. In an interview with Sports Seriously, Tatum claimed that the rest of his body felt as strong as ever, and he believed that when he returned from injury, he could feel as good as he had been in years.

"The silver lining I found throughout the process was that I had 19 weeks to heal and strengthen my calves to make it as strong or stronger as my left leg, but also really worked my body," Tatum said. "I've been gone for 19 weeks and I haven't put any pressure on my legs because of running or playing basketball. I literally work out in the weight room six days a week, working my core, working my legs, quads, hamstrings and more," Tatum continued. "I was hurt, but ironically, the rest of my body is as strong as ever. So, I see a world where I'm back and like, 'Yo, my body probably never felt so good, starting with me 19 or something like that."

A lot of players aren't the same after a tear of the Achilles tendon, but Tatum is optimistic that he will be at his best when he returns. However, the 27-year-old doesn’t always think about these lines. Tatum was injured at the end of Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals between the Celtics and the New York Knicks. At the time, he was worried that the Celtics might trade him and his career could end. It was natural that these ideas quietly appeared at that time. Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks in the 2024-25 season, and eventually stabilized himself. He has been working hard for several months now. The six-time All-Star recently underwent his first basketball training after his injury and talked about his next step in recovery. Recently, a video of Tatum's workout has also gone viral online, and it's surprising that his movement is so good. "Rusted like a bastard," Tatum said.

Tatum's surgeon talked about how significant his recovery has been so far. You initially thought he had little chance to play in the 2025-26 season, but he made it clear on First Take that he didn’t rule out his own possibility. Tatum still hopes to return, but adds that he won't rush back. If he feels good, we'll see him on the court. The Celtics, the 2024 NBA championship, have been completely cancelled due to Tatum's injury and the departure of Christapus Porzingis and Ju Holiday. Getting their superstars back soon will be a big push, but you still won't like their chances of shining in the playoffs.

The Celtics are now significantly weaker, and for them, the best result of the 2025-26 season is that Tatum shows his usual self after his return. This at least makes you optimistic about the future. Effective recovery in a good recovery environment is good for Tatum and the Celtics, who cleared the cap space and just had to smoothly transition the new season waiting for Tatum's return to sail again. What do you think?