Jayson Tatum makes emotional return after Achilles surgery

Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum made a long-awaited return to the court on Friday, nearly ten months after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon that ended his previous season.

The Celtics star started the home game against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden, marking his first appearance since undergoing surgery in May last year.

Tatum’s comeback comes 298 days after the injury he sustained during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semi-final against the New York Knicks.

The 28-year-old forward had been listed as questionable ahead of the game, but his inclusion in the starting line-up confirmed the end of a lengthy rehabilitation process.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla described the moment as the beginning of a new chapter for the franchise star.

“It’s been a long journey, and the culmination of a new journey begins today,” Mazzulla said before tip-off. He added that the team had maintained continuous discussions with Tatum throughout his recovery and always believed he would return before the end of the season.

"We've been having constant conversations, where you want to get to, how you're going to get there and what goes into that," Mazzulla said of the process Tatum took to get ready to play.

"Really from Day 1 it's just been a constant conversation. Throughout the process you've just trusted this journey. I give him credit. We always knew he was coming back this year."

The Celtics prepared a special welcome for their leading scorer, with fans’ seats inside TD Garden covered in white and green T-shirts bearing Tatum’s name and No. 0 jersey.

Boston currently sits second in the Eastern Conference with a 41-21 record and has 20 games remaining in the regular season, including 11 at home.