Our last image of Jayson Tatum on a basketball court wasn’t of him using his length to stretch the floor or shortening himself to change directions off a dribble in a way that seems almost impossible for a guard listed at 6-foot-8, but in reality is probably two inches taller. Instead, we last saw Tatum nine months ago, collapsing and reaching for his foot at Madison Square Garden during Eastern Conference Finals Game 4 against the New York Knicks. Tatum had ruptured his Achilles tendon, adding insult to the injury of his Boston Celtics missing their chance for a second consecutive NBA Finals run at the hands of their division rival.

Tatum’s injury was one that usually takes about a year to recover from, after surgery to repair the damage. But according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Tatum could retake the court as early as Boston’s home game tonight against the Dallas Mavericks.

It’s too early to know whether Tatum is fully back to form after nine months out of action. If he is, it’s great news for a Celtics team whose prospects for 2026 and possibly beyond looked dim at the end of last season. After being eliminated by the Knicks, the consensus was that the Celtics had little chance to compete for a title this season. Their roster was depleted not only by Tatum’s injury but also by the departures of Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, key pieces in their 2024 championship run, and Kristaps Porziņģis, who put in key minutes off the bench. Not only would the C’s have to make it without their biggest star, but they might even have to rebuild around him once he came back. At least that’s what fans and pundits thought.

But Jaylen Brown, the Celtics’ other remaining superstar, wasn’t having it. Brown is having the statistical best season of his NBA career, and the C’s are in the thick of the playoff race in the east, with a 41-21 record and 20 regular-season games remaining. 

Now with Tatum seemingly on his way back, the Celtics might be on a run where, as former Celtics superstar Kevin Garnett once said, “Anything is possible.”