Jayson Tatum pulled off the unthinkable and came back from an Achilles injury in only 10 months. While Tatum isn’t the first NBA star to opt for an early return from a severe injury, there’s no denying how difficult it is to pull off such a feat.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green couldn’t help but show his love and support for Tatum, sharing an empowering message for the Boston Celtics star.
Draymond Green Shows Respect to Jayson Tatum
In May 2025, Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The injury occurred in Game 4 of the Celtics’ second-round matchup against the New York Knicks. The Celtics were the defending champions at the time, making the injury even more devastating for the team.
Thankfully, Tatum received medical attention the next day and underwent surgery immediately. Since then, there have been many questions about whether Tatum could return in the 2025-26 season.
It’s been an emotional rollercoaster ride for the Celtics star, who initially teased that he might sit out the remainder of this season. This was mainly due to the Celtics’ strong performance in the Eastern Conference standings despite his absence.
Ultimately, Tatum came back last Friday and made his season debut against the Dallas Mavericks.
It’s not easy coming back from an Achilles injury. We’ve seen guys like the late Kobe Bryant, who came back in 8 months from an Achilles injury, but ultimately got his body consistently banged up in the following seasons.
Then there are players like Klay Thompson, who missed an entire season due to an Achilles injury.
Having that in mind, Warriors veteran Green couldn’t help but give Tatum his flowers for overcoming such a difficult feat. In a recent episode of “The Draymond Green Show”, the Warriors veteran showed his respect for the Celtics star.
“Jayson Tatum is a worker, he loves the game of basketball … to see him out there doing what he loves to do is great for the NBA,” Green said. “It’s great for the game of basketball. Nothing but love and respect for JT.”
Draymond Green on Jayson Tatum’s return:
“Jayson Tatum is a worker, he loves the game of basketball… to see him out there doing what he loves to do is great for the NBA… it’s great for the game of basketball. Nothing but love and respect for JT.”pic.twitter.com/TMZlAzNfMP
— jb (@lockedupjb) March 10, 2026
As of this writing, Tatum is currently playing under a minutes restriction. Based on his first couple of games since returning, he has consistently played 27 minutes a game.
It’s likely that we’ll see the same pattern before the Celtics decide to let him loose come playoff time.
