For the first time since 2016, the Boston Celtics will open the new campaign without Jayson Tatum on the court for them. Tatum is still working his way back to full health after he tore his Achilles tendon in the playoffs last year.
Typically, this sort of injury would require a player to miss the entire ensuing season, but Tatum has continued to defy logic with his injury rehab. Reports indicate that Tatum wants to return to the court at some point in March for the C’s.
While he won’t be on the court to start the season, Tatum has still been spending a lot of time around the team. He’s been frequently working out at the Celtics’ facilities, and he has been present on the bench for both of Boston’s first two preseason games.
After making the trip to Toronto on Friday, Tatum was back in Boston on Saturday for the launch of his new “Tatum 4” shoes. While the release of his shoe is obviously noteworthy, Tatum also caught attention by making a bold championship guarantee during a Q&A at the event.
“It’s not even a question,” Tatum said when asked about his favorite memory from the past five seasons of his career. “I have two kids. I got drafted. The best day of my life was the parade. And I promise, we gonna do it again.”
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Considering everything that has happened to the Celtics over the past few months, championship talk hasn’t exactly been front and center as of late. In addition to Tatum’s injury, the C’s lost Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet over the offseason.
And yet, if Tatum can come back sooner than expected, and the front office can rebuild the roster after avoiding the second apron of the salary cap, it may not be long before the Celtics are back contending for titles. For now, the team will look to stay afloat in order to give Tatum a shot at returning to a contending squad in March.
