Paolo Banchero praised Jayson Tatum after the Boston Celtics forward returned to action after suffering an Achilles injury during last year's postseason.
Banchero shared the comments Saturday after leading the Orlando Magic to a 119-92 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 22-year-old forward finished with 25 points, 15 rebounds and three assists while shooting 10 of 18 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in 35 minutes.
After the win, Banchero was asked about Tatum's return to the court.
"It was great to see him out there. I just have to give him a lot of credit. I think his mentality was there from the beginning when he first got injured, I watched him over the summer and you could tell he was going to try to get back sooner than everyone thought. I didn't know it would happen this season, but you could tell he was already working, even right after the injury."
Banchero continued by emphasizing the challenge of returning from an Achilles injury and the impact of seeing Tatum back on the floor.
"So, it was great to see him out there and I think he's an inspiration to everybody... Just for him to be completely recovered in front of the whole world and to come out and have a great game last night. It's not easy to get over that injury, and I can only imagine how he had to deal with it mentally and all that stuff, but happy for him, man. Looking forward to getting down there against him. I think we'll play Boston once again, see him in the playoffs, But yes, he is happy, for sure."
Paolo Banchero praises Jayson Tatum as Celtics, Magic can meet again in playoffs
Tatum returned to the lineup in Boston's 120-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, helping the Celtics improve to 42-21, the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
In his first game, the 28-year-old recorded 15 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and one steal, while shooting 6-for-16 from the field and 3-for-8 from three-point range in 27 minutes.
Banchero and Tatum share a connection dating back to their college careers. Both players starred at Duke University before entering the NBA, with Tatum playing one season for the Blue Devils in 2016–17 and Banchero following a similar path during the 2021–22 season.
The Celtics and Magic also met in last year's postseason, when Boston defeated Orlando in five games during the first round.
With the Magic currently positioned in the Eastern Conference play-in race, a postseason rematch is possible. Orlando improved to 34-28 with Saturday's win and the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. The Magic are tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for sixth place and one game behind the Toronto Raptors for the fifth seed.
Orlando will conclude its two-game road trip on Sunday night when it visits the Milwaukee Bucks (26-35) at 8:00 pm ET.
