Kevin Durant expressed admiration for Jayson Tatum’s rapid recovery from his Achilles injury. After leading the Houston Rockets to a 128-101 victory over the Boston Celtics, Durant shared encouraging words about Tatum's rehab journey.
At 37, Durant remains in excellent form, scoring a game-high 26 points six years after his own Achilles rupture in the 2019 NBA Finals. Now, Tatum is aiming to mirror Durant’s comeback following his Achilles tear in May.
“I wouldn’t say I felt that confident to dunk the ball,” Durant reflected on his own recovery at the six-month mark. “I don’t remember if I was that far along in my journey, but medicine has advanced so much since I had Achilles. Jayson looks like he’s just killing the rehab and he looks great.”
“You don’t see a limp. For somebody who just had Achilles surgery in the playoffs, he looks amazing. Hopefully, he continues to progress, gets better, and gets back on the court soon. The game misses him, the NBA misses him, just, you know, all-world talent, man, so looking forward to having him back on the floor.”
Tatum has openly stated he aims to return this season, which would be within 11 months of his injury—a timeline that underscores his strong rehabilitation progress.
Kevin Durant praises Jayson Tatum’s impressive Achilles rehab, noting advances in medicine and expressing hope for Tatum’s swift return to basketball.