Fans are speculating whether Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum will see action this season as he recovers from his Achilles injury.
Multiple reports say Tatum is on track and ahead of schedule. He has accomplished several feats, including participating in controlled 5‑on‑5 scrimmages and working out with teammates.
The 27-year-old Tatum has touted his progress, but recently backtracked on his previous view that he could suit up this season, saying he needed to reevaluate his situation.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed that Tatum was practicing ahead of Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. But when asked if the six-time All-Star participated, Mazzulla had the all-time response, as shown in a video posted by CLNS.
Did Jayson Tatum practice yesterday?
"He was at practice?"
Did he participate?
*stares*@CLNSMedia | Why: @RealBobManning pic.twitter.com/SOLMYuzu4J
-Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) 22 February 2026
Silence usually means yes. But Mazzulla is as difficult to read in Latin as Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace", so it's hard to say whether he actually alluded to anything.
Why waste energy on words when you can always look deep into someone's soul and make them question their existence?
If anything, Majulla is tired of answering questions about Tatum, who suffered a debilitating injury against the New York Knicks in last season's playoffs.
Whatever his wordless response actually meant, it's clear the Celtics are doing just fine without Tatum. They defeated the Lakers 111–89 to improve to 37–19, including 8–2 in their last 10 games.
Jaylen Brown is playing at an MVP level, earning his keep from even LeBron James. Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta have been consistent contributors, while the addition of Nikola Vucevic has made them even stronger.
The Celtics will take a look at the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
