The Boston Celtics’ offseason has been filled with uncertainty. Still, the recent developments with superstar Jayson Tatum have injected a spark into the franchise that has been eager for breaks since the season ended. The All-NBA forward suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semis, abruptly ending a possible second-straight Finals appearance. But just a few hours ago, Tatum shared an extremely promising update on his YouTube channel, showing him working out on a basketball court. The video caught a lot of attention, including from one former Celtics legend.

NBA champion Kevin Garnett shared a video clip on his Instagram story, reacting excitedly to the reel with a caption, writing, “Yessss sir… good movement. we see you JT..!! Keep working my guy.” After months of hard work rehabilitating the injury, the post offered fans a new look at Tatum, suggesting he’s taking steps towards total recovery.

Unlike the clip Garnett shared might suggest, this journey hasn’t been easy. Tatum admitted in recent interviews that the injury left him questioning everything. He remembered telling his mother, “Mom, I might be done. I don’t know if I’ll be able to overcome this or if I’m up for this challenge,” reflecting on how emotions ran high after he was sidelined. Yet, his spirit seems to have become even stronger, fueling his daily rehab.

His surgeon, Dr. Martin J. O’Malley, recently noted that he has considerable strength in his calf and that his body is responding well despite the severity of the injury. “I don’t think I’ve seen a person’s calf look as strong as his. At six or eight weeks he was doing double heel rises. He worked his calf so hard that the side effect of loss of strength, I don’t think he’s going to have any,” he had recently said per Forbes.

Whether Tatum will suit up this season remains uncertain. An Achilles tear of the kind Tatum suffered typically takes around 9-12 months of rehabilitation. Similar injuries have recently occured to the likes of Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard, but none of those players have shown the kind of recovery speed the Boston main man has. Of course, the front office has to weigh the possibility of re-injury if returned early against the chance of giving the team a spark with their superstar on the court.

Boston’s roster has shifted dramatically in his absence, with veterans no longer in the mix, signaling that this may be a potential gap year for the team while Tatum takes time off to recover to full strength. Still, adding Tatum wouldn’t hurt. For the Celtics, Tatum is a proven first option. He is a Swiss army knife player who fills in their gaps and does whatever the team needs him to do. Jaylen Brown is projected to be the primary scorer, but he may not be able to play-make as well as Tatum can, potentially bogging down the team’s offense. However, Tatum hasn’t ruled out a return just yet.

Jayson Tatum Eyes Early Comeback for the Next Season

While the Celtics have remained cautious, Jayson Tatum himself hasn’t completely eliminated the possibility of a return. He emphasized on NBC News that his recovery is a day-to-day process, saying, “Like, [day to day] how I’ve approached this process, is like, man, the most important thing is making a full recovery. I’m not saying that I’m not playing this season. I’m not taking that off the table.” His focus on progress shows that a return before next season isn’t unlikely if rehab continues at this rate.

Even with the cameras turned off, Tatum has been pushing hard, running rehabs six days a week, and now getting on-court reps. He said at the end of his newest update, “I just finished my third workout… I’m working my tail off to get back to get healthy,” showing that he is committed to returning as strong as he was before the injury.

Even as the team contemplates his comeback, the sentiment from Tatum remains the same: contribute as soon as possible. “For the love of the game, obviously, and then for the fans that, you know, support me and the team,” he said, highlighting that every effort in his rehab is aimed at providing Boston support. If everything works out, fans might not have to sit through a transitional year, and see their superstar back on the court sooner rather than later