{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreignaf2hjssl3o35n5vqjyyfjgbcvg5e5pp4z6zvj4a7xmpmoi5wba",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:g673g5qzb2lfjsjw4rzbkvsu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgp5g3gdim52"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreibtqwfysbrxqaos2elufqr5yz4myxx36ts476vm5idwd452iowzmy"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 52836
  },
  "path": "/jayson-tatum-might-redefine-basketballs-worst-injury-or-might-not",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-09T13:15:25.000Z",
  "site": "https://defector.com",
  "tags": [
    "NBA",
    "basketball",
    "Boston Celtics",
    "injuries",
    "Jayson Tatum",
    "kevin durant",
    "kobe bryant",
    "said"
  ],
  "textContent": "Jayson Tatum played his second game of the season Sunday, after having set what seems like an all-time record for the fastest recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Tatum made his debut Friday at home against the Dallas Mavericks, 298 days from his last appearance, and was somewhat wobbly, but fine; Sunday, on the road against the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers, Tatum looked more confident against a much tougher opponent. In both cases, he was one happy guy, grinning and high-fiving, accepting the congratulations of teammates, opponents, fans, really anyone who crossed his path. \"I can't stress it enough,\" an obviously delighted Tatum said after Sunday's victory. \"I'm just happy to be out here, playing on a team with the guys, competing, making plays, making mistakes, you know, just happy to be out here.\"\n\nWhatever Tatum imagined about his own recovery, back in the miserable aftermath of the injury, he certainly did not expect to be joining a Celtics team actively contending for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Not only because Boston would be missing his own services: The Celtics dismantled their roster last summer, shipping out three of their top five players by games started and four of their top nine by total minutes, in addition to the loss of Tatum. Anyone might reasonably have expected this season to be devoted to an entirely forgivable tanking operation. Instead, Joe Mazzulla has hit upon a perfectly respectable rotation, Jaylen Brown has emerged as a frontrunner for MVP, and the Celtics are just a couple games back of the sagging Detroit Pistons in an otherwise not-super-impressive conference. Tatum isn't easing back into the relaxed home-stretch of a one-year retooling project; he's dropping into a starter's role in the early crescendo of a title hunt.\n\nThere will be pressure with that, which Tatum is sure to feel once the excitement of simply playing basketball in a Celtics uniform wears off a little. In the meantime, his return is all gravy, a terrific gust of good feelings for everyone involved. For as long as he is upright, Tatum is doing more than bolstering Boston's depth: He's rewriting what it means for an in-his-prime NBA player to suffer what has long been considered one of the worst possible basketball injuries.",
  "title": "Jayson Tatum Might Redefine Basketball’s Worst Injury, Or Might Not"
}