It’s been nearly a month since Jayson Tatum made his return to the NBA. Tatum was sidelined for the majority of the regular season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. While many anticipated he wouldn’t return until the 2026-27 season, Tatum did everything in his power to come back and help the Boston Celtics.
Over three weeks have passed since his return, and Tatum has already played in 11 games. It appears that Tatum has made the most out of his playing time, as he was given an award shortly after his return. The NBA world shared its thoughts on social media.
Jayson Tatum Crowned Eastern Conference Player of the Week
While it’s a relief to see Tatum playing for the Celtics again, one of the biggest concerns for fans was whether he could still play the way he did before his ruptured Achilles tendon.
The reason for this logic is that we’ve seen players like Kobe Bryant and Klay Thompson suffer the same injury but not return to the players they once were. Bryant went on to sustain a plethora of other injuries. At the same time, Thompson has had a significant decline in his performance.
However, it appears that Tatum is unaffected by the curse and has proven that he is still a force to be reckoned with on the hardwood. In only his third week since his return, Tatum was already named Player of the Week.
In the Celtics’ last three consecutive wins in Week 23, Tatum averaged 25.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, looking like his old self again. This is good news for the Celtics, especially with the playoffs rapidly approaching.
The NBA world couldn’t help but chime in and share its thoughts on Tatum’s strong showing after undergoing a severe injury. Here’s what some had to say on X:
NBA Reactz kept it short and simple, saying, “Generational.”
Generational. https://t.co/hq0UZLvkZz
— NBA Reactz (@NBAReactz) March 30, 2026
Gordo couldn’t believe how Tatum already claimed Player of the Week after a short period since his return from injury: “This is bats**t. He got back from a torn Achilles three weeks ago!”
This is batshit. He got back from a torn Achilles three weeks ago! https://t.co/aikdUEodZx
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) March 30, 2026
Celtics reporter Noa Dalzell had similar sentiments to Gordo, noting how Tatum just came back from injury: “Jayson Tatum has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week just three weeks after returning from his Achilles injury.”
Jayson Tatum has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week just three weeks after returning from his Achilles injury https://t.co/UFEXqujRrV
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) March 30, 2026
Hana Hoops noted how invincible Tatum makes himself seem: “Jayson Tatum is literally Ironman bruh.”
Jayson Tatum is literally Ironman bruh https://t.co/raaJqzz2ol
— Hana 🏀 (@HanaHoops) March 30, 2026
John Karalis was perplexed by how Tatum was able to notch Player of the Week: “My mind is completely blown by Tatum’s recovery. I can’t even comprehend coming back in 10 months AND playing well enough to win an award like this. I was super optimistic about his return, and this still blows away my expectations.”
With the Celtics headed to the playoffs as the No. 2 seed, they have a good chance of making a deep playoff run this season. Given how Tatum seems to be more like himself again on the court, if no unfortunate injuries take place, Boston looks to be a strong contender for the title this year.
