How Kevin Durant Reacted To Jayson Tatum’s Rehab Progress

Kevin Durant provides Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics with an encouraging case study of an NBA star successfully returning from an Achilles injury. The future Hall of Famer MVP is impressed with Tatum’s recovery thus far.

Durant led the Houston Rockets to a 128-101 win over the Celtics on Saturday night. While at TD Garden, the four-time champion discussed Tatum’s progress from the same injury that cost him the entire 2019-20 season.

Courtesy of CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning, Durant didn’t recall feeling comfortable dunking a basketball as quickly as Tatum has since tearing his Achilles in a May 12 playoff game against the New York Knicks.

“Jayson looks like he’s just killing the rehab,” Durant said. “He looks great. I don’t see a limp. For somebody to just have an Achilles surgery in the playoffs, he looks amazing. So, hopefully, he can continue to progress and he gets better and gets back on the court soon. The game misses him. The NBA misses him.”

Tatum hasn’t ruled out playing later this season. Durant didn’t return until December 2020 after tearing his Achilles tendon in the 2019 NBA Finals, but he wouldn’t dismiss the possibility of Tatum expediting that timetable.

“I think it’s feasible,” Durant said. “It’s good to have that option on the table to know he can come back, but that’s such a long way away from now. I feel like he’s taking it day-by-day and see what happens with the team, see what happens with his body and make a decision at a later date. But it’s cool to keep it open, I guess, to play.

“He just loves to play, man. He’s a gamer. He loves to hoop, so I’m sure if he can get out there — no matter what the team’s record is, no matter what — he’s gonna get out there to play. We all can’t wait to see him out there again.”