SANTA MONICA — As speculation about his return continues to build, fueled by NBC’s five-part docuseries ‘The Quiet Work, which chronicles his recovery from his Achilles rupture, along with a wave of Celtics games being flexed into NBC’s primetime schedule, Jayson Tatum still isn’t revealing any timeline.
“I do not have a date,” he said on Saturday. “Like I said, I just take it one day at a time. I feel better than I did yesterday, and that’s most important.”
A photo dump posted to the Celtics’ social media accounts Saturday morning showing Tatum seemingly participating in team activities immediately sent fans buzzing. But Tatum clarified that the workout, which took place at the University of San Francisco, was optional and that he has not yet taken part in a full practice with the team. There is “no plan set in stone,” he said, for his return to regular practice.
“There was a little five-on-five,” Tatum said of the session. “It’s tough to go into detail of every single thing I do every day. But I will say getting acclimated more and doing limited things with some of the guys out there. It’s all a part of the rehab.”
Tatum was present at practice in Santa Monica as the Celtics prepared for Sunday’s matchup with the Lakers. As players got ready, lacing up their shoes, Tatum got shots up near the free-throw line. The session was closed to the media once it began, and head coach Joe Mazzulla did not indicate whether Tatum was scheduled to participate.
Speaking roughly 30 minutes before practice started, Mazzulla said he had “no idea” whether Tatum would participate and said the team "hadn't made a practice plan yet."
The five-time All-NBA selection practiced with Boston’s G League affiliate earlier this month. When asked about a potential timeline for his return to full practice with the parent club, Mazzulla emphasized patience.
“It just kind of depends on how he continues to hit those checkmarks, whatever they may be. At the end of the day, we have to make sure the main goal has always been get to 100%, get to as healthy as you possibly can, and go from there,” the coach said. “He’s done a great job working. My hope is that he gets as healthy as he can.”
As he works his way back, Tatum has consistently stressed the importance of approaching rehab one day at a time.
“I feel like I’m beating a dead horse,” he said. “I’m just taking it one day at a time. It’s something that’s very serious, the injury that I have. It’s just a long journey. For me, it’s just a lot easier to take it one day at a time.”
Tatum also said he will not return to game action until he feels fully healthy, declining to put a percentage on where he currently stands.
“I know what 100 percent feels like,” Tatum said. “And if and when that time comes, I’ll be ready.”
Now 40 weeks removed from the injury, Tatum said he is proud of the work that has brought him to this point — close enough for his return to become a real conversation, even if he isn’t ready to say when it will happen.
“I think it’s just important that I worked this hard to just kind of get myself in a position where it could be a conversation,” he said. “I think we’ve done a really good job of that thus far.”
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