Recently, Celtic forward Tatum accepted an exclusive interview with NBC to review his Achilles tendon when it ruptured.

Tatum regained his passion for basketball after his injury and recovered steadily day after day. In the 19 weeks since his injury, Tatum gradually regained the spark he fell in love with basketball in St. Louis as a child. In the past, he always used highlight dunks, winning streaks and deep into the playoffs to measure his progress, but now he is more concerned about the so-called "good days" that accumulate day by day. This summer, when a stranger asked him about his recovery, his answer was: "Come on a day."

"It sounds like perfunctory, but it's true. This is how I treat the process, and the most important thing is full recovery." Tatum said, "I'm not saying I won't play this season, I just don't want to exclude this possibility. As a competitor, when I go to the gym for rehabilitation training every day, I'm working for a goal, obviously for 100% return, no matter when that is."

Through some small milestones, he gradually regained his passion for the game. Two weeks after the operation, the sutures were removed and protective boots were put on his right foot, which he wore for a full ten weeks. A month after the operation, he began load-bearing exercises, which was a painful process, and he said Journavx, a non-opioid painkiller, helped him. (Tatum is also a partner of the drug manufacturer.)

Achilles tendon injury usually takes between 9 and 12 months to recover, although some athletes recover faster. Tatum knows well that Kobe Bryant, the late Lakers superstar, returned to the arena in just 240 days after he was injured in 2013. But Tatum said: "Everyone's physical reaction is different."

"It may sound cliché, but what I benefit most psychologically is: Do I want to feel better than yesterday? Do I want to be stronger than yesterday? Do I want to be more confident than yesterday? So I don't think 'I'll come back to play in six months', it's too far for me. I'm just thinking about tomorrow, how do I feel better than today?" Tatum said.