The Boston Celtics were dealt a brutal blow in Game 4 as Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon.

Despite losing Tatum for the series, the Celtics managed to register a dominant 127-102 win over the New York Knicks in Game 5.

While the Celtics still face a 3-2 deficit, Tatum has successfully undergone surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. But what is Tatum’s ideal return timetable? exclusively spoke to Dr. Derek Ochiai and learned the best and worst case scenarios for the 27-year-old.

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Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant enjoyed a 20-year stint in the NBA. While the Mamba won five NBA Championships during the process, he was a shell of himself during the twilight years of his career.

Why? Well, Kobe tore his Achilles tendon in 2013. Dr. Ochiai believes it’s a positive sign that Tatum has suffered this injury in his 20s rather than his 30s.

“This was a serious injury.  Typical timeline to return to NBA after Achilles’ tendon rupture repair is about 9-12 months.  While many players return to the NBA after surgical repair, they sometimes lose some explosiveness (either temporarily or permanently),” he stated.

“Mr. Tatum is relatively young at age 27, so this would be a positive prognostic factor in his recovery.  Kobe Bryant was age 34 when he had an Achilles’ tendon repair, and he came back for two seasons after recovering for about 8 months.

“There have been advances in Achilles’ tendon repair so that the construct of the repair is stronger,” Dr. Ochiai added.

Despite being in his 30s, Bryant returned to the court in less than a year. Although he was effectively out of his prime, there is still hope that Tatum will regain his pre-injury form.

Now, coming to the question of the hour? When will Tatum be cleared for basketball activities? Well, Dr. Ochiai gave two return timetables for the Celtics star.

The best case scenario being: “Soonest I would expect Jayson Tatum to be playing would be February 2026.”

But in the worst case? Dr. Ochiai added: “Although it is also possible that he is shut down for the entire 2025-26 season.”

According to data provided by Sofascore, Tatum averaged 23.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game during the regular season and the playoffs.

Will he manage to regain his form and one day lead the Celtics to another NBA title? Only time will tell.