NBA Legend Sends Message to Jayson Tatum After Devastating Injury

In an exclusive interview with ESports Insiders' Kyle Odegard, Wilkins revealed that Tatum needs to take the time he needs to get back to what he was, and that will be a long time.

“They have everything at their disposal, as far as workout facilities and new-age medicine, workout equipment to get themselves back quicker," Wilkins said. "But you still need to do the work. Tatum is a guy who loves the game, so there is no doubt in my mind he will put in the work he needs to put in to get back. But it’s going to take him at least a year (to feel 100%). That’s a fact.”

Wilkins then revealed what he did to return to form and the steps Tatum must take to do the same.

“It’s going to take him awhile, and it’s definitely going to affect that team, because he is the guy. If I can give him any information to help him with that, if he does a lot of water therapy and a lot of individual workouts to get his range of motion back – he’s got to learn how to walk again. The mobility and the stretching will help him get back quicker, as well as getting the calf stronger, because when you tear that Achilles tendon, you lose some muscle mass in that leg. You’ve got to try to stay ahead of the game, but don’t come back too fast.”

Nothing's confirmed yet, but Tatum may miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season while he recovers. Wilkins is also a Celtics alum, playing for one season in Boston during the 1994-95 season.