It has been just about four months since Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles in the NBA playoffs. The injury was devastating at the time and recently Tatum revealed it hit him harder than anybody thought, even to the point he questioned his future in basketball. But the perennial MVP candidate has been making steady progress in his rehab since May and his latest update has fans marveling at his status.
Over the weekend Tatum posted his first on-court workout video since tearing his Achilles to his YouTube channel. It was brief but the star forward looked shockingly healthy for someone supposedly only halfway through the recovery process of perhaps the worst injury in professional sports.
Jayson Tatum with a rare upload on YouTube, which features him lifting, running, shooting, and most importantly, on the basketball court again
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) September 28, 2025
“I’m rusty as a mother******,” he said. “I’m working my tail off to get back, to get healthy for the love of the game.”
🎥 @jaytatum0 pic.twitter.com/DCH1nVq4Cq
He had fans in awe with how quickly he appears to be recovering and they had a hard time containing their excitement for the Boston star's progress. Even a fellow NBA star like Kevin Durant marveled at what he was seeing.
Insane. Let’s get it JT https://t.co/SoMVHo0g3i
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 28, 2025
Ummmm…. pic.twitter.com/xmMZSLoRwD
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) September 28, 2025
How are you deadlifting that heavy a few months after an Achilles tear 😭😭😭
— Tahan (@Lcy_Shen) September 28, 2025
I'm not sure what he's made of, but my goodness, he seems pretty far along for only being 5 months into rehab. I'm sure he's got the right guidance for his situation. We'll see him this season sometime.
— Jeter Louise (@JeterLouise1) September 28, 2025
I'm trying to be rational, but this seems incredible. Maybe he will be back this season? Still trying to wrap my head around that one.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) September 28, 2025
Great message from Jayson Tatum at the end for his fans and Celtics fans too! pic.twitter.com/en099phNSl
100% thought it was an AI-generated prank, or an old video, and the reveal was in that last couple of seconds of Tatum talking to the camera.
— Three Level Scorer (@3LevelScorer) September 28, 2025
Its actually insane. This is not normal this fast after that type of injury https://t.co/HZgyZqtb6X
— Justin (@TheJustinMacRae) September 28, 2025
🥲 seeing Tatum actually working out only what 4 months after what happened makes my heart warm https://t.co/39uIEZErBK
— Synistr (@IndigoVq) September 28, 2025
this isn’t normal and he could possibly play in february but the achilles also isn’t something that you just rush back from, obviously he’ll be the one to make that call https://t.co/IBfHASbbJP
— Travonne Edwards (@Travonne) September 28, 2025
I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST JOGGING??? pic.twitter.com/uHGz8WXd6I
— Fallen (LET'S GO RED SOX! 👊) (@FallenImpacts) September 28, 2025
He had a message for everybody at the end of the video too.
"I'm finally back on the court," Tatum said. "I just want everybody to know, I appreciate the love and support. It's been a long journey but I'm working my tail off to get back, to get healthy. For the love of the game, obviously, and then for the fans that support me and the team. I appreciate the support."
The video got fans riled up but it does not mean Tatum is going to be fully healthy ahead of schedule, of course. The man himself admitted last week that, while he still hasn't declared he'll miss all of the upcoming season, getting 100% is the priority over meeting any kind of arbitrary return date. No matter how good his workout video looks neither Tatum nor the Celtics are going to push the envelope for the sake of getting back faster.
Still, he does look great in context of the injury. A positive development for the 27-year-old star.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jayson Tatum's First On-Court Workout Video Since Achilles Injury Had Fans in Awe.
