Jayson Tatum’s return to an NBA court appears to be coming much sooner than anyone expected.  

The Boston Celtics superstar could be suiting up as early as Friday, which marks nearly 10 months since he tore an Achilles against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, per ESPN. 

The Celtics will face Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks Friday at TD Garden, and Tatum is expected to be out there with his teammates for the first time since his injury. 

Tatum was officially listed as questionable on the Celtics’ injury report.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, noted that his star guard wouldn’t be cleared until he was definitely ready to play, both physically and mentally.

That’s especially the case considering the Celtics don’t need Tatum to rush back. They’re 41-21, which gives them the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. 

Tatum also noted he would want to return for a home game.

Boston has had players stepping up in the absence of Tatum, including his counterpart Jaylen Brown. Brown has taken on the scoring load, averaging 28.9 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and five assists. 

Derrick White has added 17.3 points per game, while doing work on the defensive end with 1.2 steals. 

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum walks off the court after Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. (Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe)

And the Celtics have had Payton Pritchard (16.8 points, 5.3 assists) and Anfernee Simons (14.2 points) helping the team every night. 

The 28-year-old Tatum returning is nothing short of remarkable considering the average window for Achilles rehab is 9-12 months, and it’s usually on the later end of the timeline. 

As Tatum looks to return, he was well aware of how good his team has been in his absence. He has been spotted on the bench cheering his teammates on all season, and he wants to seamlessly work his way back into the rotation. 

Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena Jan. 19, 2026, in Detroit. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I’m just hyper aware of what’s going on. I think it would just stem from that,” he said, according to NBA.com. “Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and bring to the team. But I’m also aware that these guys have been playing extremely well.”

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Related Article

President Donald Trump paid respects to late legendary football coach Lou Holtz Thursday after Holtz’s death Wednesday at the age of 89. 

Trump shared a tribute to Holtz in a Truth Social post. 

“The wonderful Lou Holtz passed away yesterday, so sad. Lou was an absolute WINNER both on and off the field. Not only did he spearhead Notre Dame’s HISTORIC undefeated season in 1988 (including the legendary 31-30 ‘Catholics v. Convicts’ Victory against Miami), he raised Millions upon Millions for struggling student-athletes, and the AMAZING University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!),” Trump wrote. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

“He was also a true American Patriot, supporting me through thick and thin, and consistently speaking out against Democrat Insanity, including ‘Transgender for Everybody,’ and the Illegal Alien Invasion. 

“It is for all this incredible work that I gave Lou Holtz our Nation’s Highest Civilian Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rest in Peace, Lou. Because of Patriots like you, we have made America GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Holtz was a known supporter of Trump, even saying in February 2024 that Trump needed to “coach America back to greatness!”

Near the end of Trump’s first term, shortly after former President Joe Biden defeated him in the 2020 election, Trump awarded Holtz with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States. Holtz, who also spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, was humbled by the honor. 

“It’s the highest honor or award you could possibly receive, and I receive it with mixed emotions. First of all, I’m humbled,” Holtz told “Fox & Friends” afterward. “There are many more people far worthy than me, I can assure you.

“Nobody is more appreciative than me. So, I’m excited to have this opportunity and, at the same time, I’m excited to receive it from President Trump. The president I admire and respect. I think he did a tremendous job.”

At the time, Holtz also called Trump “one of the great presidents of my lifetime.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

President Donald Trump presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz at the White House in Washington, D.C. Dec. 3, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Holtz was the first coach in NCAA history to take six different football programs to bowl games, including William & Mary (1969-71), N.C. State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83) and South Carolina (1999-2004). The only team he wasn’t able to accomplish the feat with was Minnesota, which he led from 1984-85.

Holtz finished his coaching career with a 249-132-7 record in 388 games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.   

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Related Article

Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich‘s game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday with a calf injury in a blow to his hopes of breaking the Bundesliga record for most goals in a season.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said on Thursday the problem wasn’t serious but means Kane will play no part in Friday’s game, which could see Bayern open up a 14-point lead at the top of the table.

“He got a knock on his calf and hasn’t recovered yet,” Kompany said. “It’s nothing serious for the time being but we’d need maybe another a day for him to be involved. We’re pretty relaxed. Of course we would have liked Harry to be involved but these things happen.”

Kompany didn’t express concern Kane would miss Bayern’s visit to Atalanta in the Champions League round of 16 next week.

Kane has scored 30 goals in the Bundesliga and is 11 short of Robert Lewandowski‘s record of 41, with 10 games remaining.

Bayern will also be without Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies for Friday’s game, Kompany said.

Bayern, the defending Bundesliga champions, have an 11-point lead at the top of the table after beating second-placed Borussia Dortmund 3-2 last Saturday.

“We’ve had an 11-point lead before and we know how quickly that can change,” said Kompany.

“We’re just looking at our performance and our victories. I looked at the table once after the game against Dortmund and it looked good. But after that, once again the only thing that mattered was Gladbach. It sounds like a cliche, but it’s a way of life for me.”

The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.