LeBron James Hypes Jayson Tatum’s Return to NBA After 298 Days Out

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon less than 300 days ago in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

LeBron James Hypes Jayson Tatum’s Return to NBA After 298 Days Out

Jayson Tatum and LeBron James (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • LeBron James praised Jayson Tatum's return to the NBA after 298 days recovering from an Achilles tendon tear.
  • Tatum successfully returned to play, scoring 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists in his first game back.
  • Despite initial struggles, Tatum impressed fans with a double-handed dunk later in the game, showcasing his recovery progress.

Being the oldest player in the league, LeBron James has seen his fair share of players battling injuries and returning to play after a remarkable recovery. This time, it was the turn of Jayson Tatum. The Boston Celtics star tore his Achilles tendon with less than three minutes to go in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal clash against the New York Knicks.

Since their championship defense was already hanging in the balance before that injury, they moved quickly and booked their leading superstar for surgery the next day.

That timely procedure, along with a strong determination, saw the 28-year-old recover completely in just ten months, or exactly 298 days since he tore his tendons.

WELCOME BACK BIG DEUCE!!!

LeBron James wrote

This was the Los Angeles Lakers superstar’s message to a player who idolized him after he drew applause from Celtics fans when he was introduced to the crowd.

LeBron James also added some emoticons to give the Duke alum his flowers for putting in the hard work in this past year. After all, per Tatum’s own admission, he almost thought about quitting the sport after his injury.

Damian Lillard, Tyrese Haliburton, and Kyrie Irving all suffered major soft tissue injuries this past calendar year. While the first two suffered the same Achilles tendon tear, the Dallas Mavericks guard tore his ACL.

Despite their attempts to recover, neither of them is scheduled to return this season, indicating how much Tatum worked to return. That is why the four-time champion had nothing but praise for the father of two.

Jayson Tatum attempts a dunk in his first game back

An Achilles tendon tear is a difficult injury to recover from. If everything goes to plan, the athlete in question can recover and return to play at their peak once they get back into playing rhythm.

Celtics fans cheer Jayson Tatum's return
Celtics fans cheer Jayson Tatum’s return (Image via Celtics/X)

But dunking on the first day back after nearly a year out was not on anyone’s bingo card. Early in the second quarter, the Celtics star received the ball on the perimeter and noticed a breakdown in the Dallas Mavericks’ defense.

He swerved past two defenders and exploded towards the rim. On any given night, this was an easy dunk for the 6’8″ forward. But since this was his first game back from tearing the one soft tissue that is needed to elevate, he probably misjudged the rust on it.

The Achilles tendon in his left calf may have healed, but it is not at its best, and needs a lot more reps to help him reach his usual reach. That is why when Jayson Tatum tried to throw down the hammer, all he could do was to clank the rim with the ball.

Jayson Tatum manages to get a dunk off later in the game

After missing out on that dunk, the Boston Celtics fans were cheering him and egging him on, as if to suggest that it was all right to miss the dunk and try again later.

Those fans did not have to wait long, as nearly nine minutes later, Payton Pritchard tried to score from distance. When Jayson Tatum realized that the ball was about to clank out, he jumped before two Mavericks defenders could do, and grabbed the rebound.

Without thinking, the former third-overall pick jumped off both his feet and threw down a subtle double-handed dunk. Once he had done that, he hung off the rim with just his right hand, as gang green inside TD Garden erupted in cheers.

Those fans were just happy to see their team’s leading superstar silence those who had cast doubts about his faster-than-usual recovery timetable. Tatum finished the game with a win and a near triple-double effort of 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists.

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