Celtics’ Xavier Tillman Stunned by What He Saw Jayson Tatum Doing in Rehab
It’s been five months since Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon. At the time, the Boston Celtics superstar was expected to be sidelined for the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season. However, the St. Louis native appears to be ahead of schedule.
According to Xavier Tillman Sr., who spoke with Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, Tatum is already incorporating box jumps into his rehab program. That likely means that his Achilles tendon is strong enough to bear his weight with light impact. That is a significant step forward.
“I mean, I’m seeing this guy do like box jumps and stuff like that, and I’m like, huh? What?” Tillman said.
There’s growing hope that Tatum will be medically cleared before the end of the coming season. However, that is unlikely to happen anytime in the near future. Nevertheless, with each passing week, we’re getting new and encouraging updates regarding his road to recovery and the work he’s putting in.
Tatum played in 72 regular-season games during the 2024-25 campaign. He averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and six assists, shooting 45.2% from the field and 34.3% from deep.
Tatum Has a Goal For Celtics’ Return
During the September 23 episode of TODAY With Jenna and Friends, Tatum discussed his rehab process and his goal of getting back on the court. He did, however, stop short of setting a date or guaranteeing that he will be back in the upcoming campaign.
“For me and my team, the doctor, the organization, the most important thing is making the full recovery,” Tatum said. “I haven’t said like, ‘Yo, I’m not playing this season or anything like that.’…
Tatum isn’t the only NBA star currently sidelined with an Achilles injury. Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Dejounte Murray are all working through similar rehab programs.
Tatum Doubled Down on First Take
Shortly after his appearance on “TODAY,” Tatum was back on television, this time with ESPN’s First Take. He once again discussed his aim of being back on the court, but also explained the standard at which he needs to reach before putting a Celtics jersey back on.
“I haven’t said I’m not playing this season,” Tatum said. “…I don’t go to rehab six days a week for nothing. But with that being said, with being a part of the organization and the Celtics, there is a standard that we play to, that we uphold, regardless of who we have in the lineup, who’s on the team, who’s not, there’s a sense of pride that we have when we put that uniform on, and we always are competing to win a championship, and that standard will not change.”
Whenever Tatum does return to the court, he will need multiple months to get back into game shape. After all, being medically cleared and being at NBA-level fitness are two different things. However, you can only achieve that fitness level by playing competitive games on he floor.
Therefore, if Tatum is medically cleared, feels good, and the coaching staff trusts he can sustain the added workload, his return will be a welcome boost to Boston’s rotation in the latter part of the season.
'Bachelor in Paradise' alum Bailey Brown reveals where she and Jeremy Simon stand with Susie Evans now
Bachelor in Paradise alum Bailey Taylor Brown has revealed how she and Jeremy Simon feel about Susie Evans now.
"I feel like there is no bad blood. There is no beef," Bailey said of Susie during a joint interview with Jeremy on a recent episode of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.
A major storyline of Bachelor in Paradise's tenth season was how Jeremy called Susie on the phone following her elimination and begged her to return to Paradise. Susie, however, declined his invitation.
When Jeremy and Bailey reunited, Jeremy never told Bailey about the phone call, and he appeared to continue talking about how much he liked and missed Susie -- while continuing to deepen his relationship with Bailey at the same time.
Brian Autz was the one who finally told Bailey about Jeremy's betrayal, and so Jeremy has been facing backlash from Bachelor Nation ever since.
Considering Susie gossip has plagued Jeremy and Bailey's romance from the start, Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt asked the couple if their dynamic with Susie is going to be awkward going forward.
"I have so much love for Susie. I think she's literally the greatest person ever. She's so sweet, she's so amazing, she's so nice," Bailey insisted on the podcast.
"And actually, after -- I don't know what episode it was -- but basically after the phone call came to light, she literally sent me the sweetest message I've ever received. It was very long, and I actually had to take some time to actually read it because I was overwhelmed in that moment."
Bailey called Susie's message "really encouraging" and kind.
"She just let me in on a little bit of details about their date and what Jeremy said about me on their date. She was like, 'I know he had moments of doubt,' but she was like, 'but on the date, I knew he wasn't going to pick me. I knew he was going to pick you based on how he spoke about you,'" Bailey recalled.
"And I think that was a really calming thread, and she's always sending me really nice messages."
Bailey said she ultimately sent Susie "a really grateful message" in response.
"I'm always going to support her and cheer her on, and hopefully when I'm in L.A. again, we'll find some time to, like, hang out and do something," Bailey noted.
Bailey and Susie apparently met for the first time at Grant Ellis' The Bachelor: After the Final Rose taping in March.
"And she was so sweet then, so yeah, I think we'll definitely continue a friendship," Bailey shared with Joe and Serena, as Jeremy remained quiet.
"Obviously we wish that her name wouldn't have been dragged on for so long. I think that's really hard for her to have to deal with. It's like, dang, she's still being brought up, you know?! It's hard for both of us, but I do really feel for her."
Bailey joked about how Susie's time in Bachelor in Paradise was short-lived yet she was brought up for weeks afterward.
"And it's still brought up. So yeah, that was intense. I also feel like the comment on the finale of 'Susie who?' was a little bit intense and very unnecessary," Bailey added, referring to her happy-couple update with Jeremy that flashed onscreen at the conclusion of
"[Jeremy] didn't even notice it, but I did. I was like, 'Oh my god, that's really intense because that's really not how we view it.' There's no bad blood," Bailey reiterated.
Bailey, however, pointed out how "obviously Jeremy is keeping his distance" from Susie.
"Because that would be crazy [if he didn't], but you know, I really do think she's an amazing person," Bailey gushed.
"So, yeah! She's such a good person. And she's honestly just making jokes and laughs about it. I think that's all that you can do, is just be silly about it, because there's no bad blood."
Despite the ups and downs in their relationship, Bailey and Jeremy are still together. Bailey also said she's planning to move to New York to live with Jeremy soon.
On Bachelor in Paradise
Jeremy, however, made the difficult decision to give Bailey his rose at the subsequent Rose Ceremony, resulting in Susie's early and unexpected elimination.
Once Susie was gone, Jeremy thought he and Bailey were all in, but then Bailey accepted a date with Andrew Spencer.
Bailey's decision made Jeremy spiral and question everything, and so he called Susie on the phone and begged her to return to
Susie, clearly feeling emotionally depleted after her reunion with ex-boyfriend Justin Glaze on the show, declined Jeremy's offer.
Since Bailey ran back into Jeremy's arms after her date with Andrew, Jeremy resumed dating Bailey, even though he kept thinking about Susie.
Jeremy, according to Bachelor in Paradise footage, said he regretted giving Bailey his rose. He also told Brian that he'd propose marriage to Susie on the spot if she returned to Paradise.
Once Brian told Bailey about Jeremy's phone call with Susie, Bailey was devastated and nearly quit Paradise, especially because no one had told her this sooner.
But Jeremy begged Bailey to stay and insisted that he truly cared for her and only had eyes for her at that point.
Jeremy and Bailey continued to grow their connection and were eventually voted out of Bachelor in Paradise, missing out on a shot to win up to $500,000.
However, the pair decided to become boyfriend and girlfriend, officially, before leaving Costa Rica.
Jeremy has since been slammed for lying by omission to Bailey, and Bailey has received criticism for choosing to stay with a man who pretty clearly preferred another woman in Paradise.
"I've made some stupid mistakes that me and her have obviously talked about a million times before the show -- before it aired and while it aired," Jeremy admitted during the Bachelor in Paradise reunion, which also aired on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast earlier this month.
"I wish I could take some of them back... I acted like a child."
Jeremy concluded, "At the end of the day, we have pretty thick skin and we know what we have... We just try not to let people get to us."
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!
