Jayson Tatum said his goals for next season have shifted dramatically after spending much of this year focused simply on recovering from a torn Achilles injury and helping the Boston Celtics during the playoffs.
Speaking on the “Glass Half Full” podcast with Craig Melvin, Tatum said he now has bigger ambitions for the 2026-27 season.
“Winning another championship and holding up Finals MVP,” the player said.
Tatum helped Boston capture the 2024 NBA title, though Jaylen Brown earned both Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP honors after posting stronger scoring numbers against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Celtics star also discussed his recovery process after left knee soreness forced him to miss Game 7 of Boston’s first-round playoff loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tatum said he is excited to have a normal offseason without a major rehabilitation program.
During the podcast, he also revealed that he asked doctors whether there had been any warning signs before his Achilles injury.
“I asked the doctor, ‘If I got an MRI the day before, would you have been able to tell me I was at risk?’” Tatum said.
According to Tatum, doctors told him the injury could not have been predicted.
“He was like, ‘Honestly, you might not want to hear this, but your tendon looks perfectly healthy.’”
Tatum admitted that answer was difficult to accept because he felt he had done everything possible to take care of his body.
“It was just an unlucky moment,” the former Duke standout said.
“And that was hard to hear because I was doing everything right. I was taking care of my body. I was getting treatment. I was doing all my strength work, every game day.”
Jayson Tatum has lofty goals for next season, plus more on the Celtics: https://t.co/M5n1ijXd85
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) May 17, 2026
