Jayson Tatum valued the chance to appear in 16 regular season games, but his ultimate goal during recovery was getting back to playoff basketball, according to Jay King of The Athletic.
The Boston Celtics star made his postseason return Sunday after suffering a torn Achilles in last year’s second round.
“I didn’t even know if I was going to play this year,” he said, “so I get the opportunity to be a part of the team and play in the playoffs. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Tatum has played nine seasons for the Celtics. He has averaged 23.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 601 regular-season games.
He was selected to play in 6 All-Star games, and has won 1 NBA championship.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Walsh, Vucevic, Garza https://t.co/pYWjYkHUGR pic.twitter.com/OvT1NuISIb
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) April 19, 2026
