Getty
Grant Williams opens up on talking with Jayson Tatum during recovery journey.
In these final weeks of the regular season, the basketball world is keeping a close eye on Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. Ahead of the star forward’s possible return, one of his former teammates weighed in with his thoughts on the situation.
Over the past few weeks, the news around Tatum has heated up dramatically. He’s remained focused on coming back in 2026 from his Achilles injury, and it is slowly starting to look like a reality. The latest on Tatum is that he could play his first game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 6th, which was first reported by longtime NBA analyst Bill Simmons.
On March 4th, the Celtics were slated to take on LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets. Ahead of the matchup, veteran forward Grant Williams answered a handful of questions from the media. When asked about Tatum, the former Celtic opened up on having a phone call with him to talk about the final steps in his recovery process.
“I talked to JT a couple weeks ago,” Williams said. “Just talking about the process…Just excited to have him back on the floor. I said it the other night basketball misses him and I think this team misses him as well in Boston and they are going to roll with him when he gets back too.”
Xavier Tillman Reflects on Jayson Tatum’s Relentless Work to Return to Celtics
Not long after undergoing surgery, Tatum made his intentions clear when it came to rehabbing this injury. While this ailment typically costs players a year of their career, he didn’t want things to unfold that way. According to one of Boston’s recent departures, the All-Star forward hasn’t let up in pursuit of his goal of being back on the floor in 2026.
In this showdown between the Celtics and Hornets, Boston got to reunite with another familiar face. That being big man Xavier Tillman, whom the team traded away earlier this season.
Seeing that he’s spent roughly the past two years with the Celtics, Tillman had an up-close view of Tatum’s recent battle with injury. Ahead of the game, he praised his now former teammate for how hard he has worked to get back to 100%.
“He was here like six days a week,” Tillman said of Tatum. “Always doing something to better his body. It was actually pretty impressive to see somebody so dedicated.”
Inside States Jayson Tatum’s Return This Season is Almost Definite
Seeing that it’s one of the biggest stories in the NBA right now, numerous media figures have weighed in on Tatum’s possible return. According to one insider, him being back in action for Boston this season is a foregone conclusion.
During the March 4th installment of “Get Up” on ESPN, Tim MacMahon reflected on the Celtics star as his return looms. He feels that it’s almost certain he’ll be in action, that it is merely a matter of when he’ll get the green light.
“It certainly seems like it’s a matter of when not if,” MacMahon said. “He’s been playing five-on-five for weeks ramping up.”
The Celtics have shocked the basketball world all year, and getting their best player back will only be an added boost as they attempt to make a deep run in the postseason.
Kevin McCormick is a veteran sports writer covering the NBA for Heavy.com. After writing for Heavy briefly in 2022, he’s returned to the publication in 2026. McCormick brings with him over seven years of experience writing about the NBA in a newsroom and served as a credentialed reporter of the Philadelphia 76ers for 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, and On SI. More about Kevin McCormick
More Heavy on Celtics
Loading more stories