Ever since his devastating Achilles tendon rupture last May, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has worked diligently behind the scenes to return to action during the 2025-26 season — a process that will be documented in an upcoming series that Tatum teased during NBA All-Star Weekend.
However, the six-time All-Star’s return to the hardwood could be closer than anyone imagined.
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Last week, Tatum was cleared to begin practicing with the G League’s Maine Celtics, a big step forward in his rehab.
In addition, the Celtics’ March 1 game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Boston was moved from a 6 p.m. ET tip-off to 8 p.m. Bill Simmons, the podcaster and Celtics super-fan, also noted that prices are “way out of whack” for the Celtics’ home game against Maine native Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks on March 6.
Connecting the dots, as it were, Simmons thinks this means Tatum might make his long-awaited return in that Sunday night showdown with the rival 76ers — or shortly thereafter.
“I had been hearing first week of March for a while. That it was going to be somewhere around that March 4th, March 6th game. … It’s really starting to look like March 1st or March 6th, but my money would be on March 1st now for him,” Simmons said.
The March 1 return date would give Tatum as many as 23 games to regain sharpness ahead of the playoffs. The Celtics (35-19) are currently the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, 5.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons. Even without home court advantage in a possible conference finals showdown with the Pistons, the Celtics would have to like their chances to reach the NBA Finals if Tatum demonstrates that he is something close to his five-time All-NBA self.
