Joe Mazzulla has unexpected approach to Jayson Tatum’s looming return

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Joe Mazzulla has unexpected approach to Jayson Tatum’s looming return

Brian Robb · MassLive

Wed, Dec 10, 2025 ·

3 min read

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BOSTON — Jayson Tatum spent several minutes playing 1-on-1 with Celtics coaches yet again at the end of Celtics practice on Wednesday. The progress in the star’s recovery from a torn Achilles is creating some buzz in the wake of Tatum posting several videos on his social media highlighting his increased activity on the floor.

With Tatum seven months removed from surgery now, Joe Mazzulla was asked at Wednesday’s practice about when the team would start to talk about a potential return to the court for the Celtics star during the 2025-26 season.

“It’s all up to him,” Mazzulla said. “At the end of the day, his health is the most important thing, his process is the most important thing. You trust him, trust the team that’s around him — he’s got a great team — and you just kind of go from there. So kind of just all starts about where him and his team think he’s at. To me, the only thing I care about is his presence and his leadership, and he’s given that in different ways — on the floor in games, communicating with guys, in film sessions, traveling with us. At the end of the day, he’s on our team. He’s a part of our team. He’s helping us get better, and then everything else just comes down to him and the people around him, and you just trust that.”

Mazzulla was also asked about whether he would try to exercise caution for Tatum when he’s eventually cleared to play.

“I’m not gonna do anything,” Mazzulla said. “There’s people above me that are responsible for that. It’s not my job. My job is to just support him, be there for them, listen to them, and at the end of the day, you trust the people that are around him.”

The Celtics star spoke at length about his recovery last week in an appearance on a podcast with former teammate Marcus Morris .

“I’m feeling good,” Tatum said. “Man, it’s been a journey. This rehab (expletive) ain’t no joke. It’s been 29 weeks yesterday. So every Tuesday is a week. I’m feeling better, though. I’ve had 29 weeks to really work on my body. This is the strongest I’ve ever been. This is the best the rest of my body has ever felt.”

Mazzulla has admired of the work Tatum has been putting in while aggressively attacking his rehab.

“The encouraging thing is that he is who he is,” Mazzulla said. “I care more about, obviously, him doing his job. He has a job just like we do, and it’s his prep, it’s his -- I think it’s harder to rehab than it is to be in the season sometimes because you have to do things at a higher intensity, at a higher pace. So he’s doing that, but I care more about (the fact that) he’s on the team, he’s helping us get better. That’s the most important thing.”

Tatum is still likely months away from being cleared for a potential return, but the Celtics could be in a very more promising place than anticipated when he returns to the floor. The third-seeded team in the East will go for their sixth straight win on Thursday night against the Bucks.

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