At 27, when most athletes reach the peak in their careers, Jayson Tatum sits. No, those braces are off his left leg. But a comeback to the floor just yet? Perhaps the ACL injury may require additional time off. However, have you ever thought what goes on inside the heads of players like JT, or someone like Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, or Tyrese Haliburton? Surprisingly, all these big names experienced the same betrayal from the game of basketball in the same 2024-25 season. But only Tatum could find words to articulate.

Tatum’s rocky stretch began in May with what seemed like a small slip in game four of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks. Yet the moment carried weight. He remembers a sound like a gunshot, the loudest pop he had ever heard, almost echoing through headphones.

The memory still stings, and he admits he cannot bring himself to watch the replay. It took the NBA star time before he believed it. “As crazy as it sounds, I felt betrayed by the game of basketball,” he told People. “I literally sat there and cried for two hours ’cause so many things ran through my mind: ‘Damn, is my career over? Am I going to get traded? Are all my partners going to drop me?’ My basketball career flashed in front of my eyes,” Tatum shared. “I’m in my prime, one of the best basketball players in the world, and it felt like it was all taken away.”

27 is an interesting age. One is supposed to feel invincible. “King of the World,” sure. But that fateful day in May changed the narrative, not just for the Boston Celtics but also for Jayson Tatum. The father of two, now, after 4 months, is preparing for a comeback. Tatum, sitting in the locker room that day, surrounded by his trainer and mother, Brandy Cole, was inconsolable.

An Achilles rupture once spelled doom for elite athletes, leaving legs wasted in casts and careers cut short, recalls Dr. Martin O’Malley, Tatum’s surgeon. Yet times have changed. With modern surgery and rehab, recovery is no longer a dream. He pointed to Kevin Durant’s 2019 comeback and assured Tatum that with relentless work, he could return fully, simply back to being Jayson Tatum.

Of course, the concern did not actually lead to anything real. While the Celtics ended up putting all the other major stars on the trade block with even the likes of Jaylen Brown and Derrick White being reportedly considered at one point of time. Eventually, only the likes of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were among the core players who ended up making way, and simply to ensure that the Celtics save money on luxury tax. The offseason moves ended up saving the franchise around $80-85 million in luxury tax.

But now, it’s not the time to worry about the past. Everything boils down to one dream: returning to the hardwood floor. And no, it’s not in the next season, but the one waiting at the doorstep. With Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford out of the Boston Celtics, Tatum somewhat feels the urgent need to get into action as soon as possible. You see, he’s going for rehab six days a week for a reason!

Jayson Tatum sends a bold message to the Boston Celtics

“Well, for one, this is like maybe the third time I haven’t said I’m not playing this season… I don’t go to rehab six days a week for nothing.” Jayson Tatum didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about the Cs in the upcoming season. Simply put, he gave away his vision as well.

Despite the haze of recovery and sweeping roster changes, Tatum stood tall and reminded the Celtics what their colors demand. “With being a part of the organization and the Celtics, there is a standard that we play to that we uphold, regardless of, you know, who we have in the lineup, who’s on the team, who’s not… we always are competing to win a championship. And that standard will not change.”

To be fair, JT is recovering faster than one could have fathomed. But when you look at the matter from the perspective that his idol is indeed Kobe Bryant, then the Mamba Mentality reflects loudly. Kobe came back on the floor in 9 months after his ACL injury at 34. And who knows? Jayson Tatum might do the same?

Jayson Tatum’s story feels less like a setback and more like a plot twist the league did not see coming. He is chasing the grind with six-day rehabs, fueled by a hunger stitched from Kobe’s shadow and Boston’s legacy. The doubt, the tears, the noise—he turned it all into fuel. Now, the real question is not if he will return, but how loudly he plans to announce it.