Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is on the verge of returning to the court and could make his season debut on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN. Tatum, who is officially listed as questionable on the team’s injury report, has not played since tearing his right Achilles tendon last May in Game 4 of the Celtics’ second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks last season.
Tatum will rejoin a team that has wildly exceeded expectations in his absence. Despite a loss to the surging Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, the Celtics remain in second place in the Eastern Conference at 41-21, and have the second-best offense (119.9 offensive rating) in the league.
All the while, Tatum has been rehabilitating behind the scenes. Last month, he was assigned to Boston’s G League affiliate to take part in portions of team practices — a sign that his return was on the horizon.
Tatum, who has publicly acknowledged how difficult his rehab has been, recently progressed to five-on-five workouts, and teammate Derrick White told The Athletic Wednesday that he “looks good.”
“Playing, moving, it’s been good to see him back and getting up and down,” White said. “So, you kind of see all the work he’s put in to get to this point, and it’s been great to see him be able to do what he loves to do.”
CBS Sports will continue updating this breaking news story.
