299 days after a devastating Achilles rupture pressed an indefinite pause on his career, Jayson Tatum made his highly anticipated return to the TD Garden on Friday night. Tatum showed he was far from rusty. He played like he was never gone for 10 months, giving flashbacks to prime Big Ticket and sparking a wave of celebration across the NBA.

The 28-year-old forward didn’t just return to the lineup; he made history, becoming the first Boston Celtic since Kevin Garnett in 2007 to record at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in a season debut. The performance, which helped propel Boston to a 120-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, drew immediate praise from the league’s biggest icons.

Leading the tributes was LeBron James, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to welcome the Celtics star back with enthusiasm. “WELCOME BACK BIG DEUCE!!! @jaytatum0 🙏🏾💪🏾🫡🔥,” James posted. (Big Deuce is JT’s nickname referencing his son, Deuce.)

The sentiment was echoed by Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who played alongside both Tatum and James on the 2024 Olympic team, shared a simple yet poignant message on Instagram: “Welcome back 0.” For Haliburton, who is also nearing a return from an Achilles tear, Tatum’s performance could serve as powerful motivation.

Not to be outdone, Tatum’s biggest fan, Reggie Miller, is on a spree of resharing every hype-post about his game tonight.

Despite a creaky start where he missed his first six shots, Tatum finished the night with a double-double, tallying 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists in 27 minutes of action.

As we saw on The Quiet Work when the Celtics report listed JT as available, he famously told his surgeons, “I didn’t come back to be no role player, Doc.” He stuck to his word and became the most invigorating story of the NBA on Friday night.

Boston had been feeling down and resigned to the ‘gap year’ narrative when JT was injured. But Jaylen Brown rallied the team to keep the Celtics at the top seed so Big Deuce was returning to a team in championship contention. Tatum’s comeback was the final piece the team needed.

Jayson Tatum’s return thrills Celtics nation

The weight of that historical comparison runs deep in Boston. Garnett’s 2007 debut didn’t just produce a stat line; it announced a championship identity, and Tatum’s return carries that same electricity.

When Garnett debuted for the Celtics on November 2, 2007, he posted 22 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 assists, setting the tone for a championship season. Tatum’s ability to impact multiple facets of the game, even while finding his shooting rhythm, mirrors the versatile intensity that Garnett brought to Boston’s Big Three era.

The connection to the Big Ticket extended beyond the stat sheet tonight. KG, a cornerstone of the Celtics’ 2008 championship run, took to social media to personally welcome the current face of the franchise back to the floor. Sharing an image of a focused Tatum in a Celtics jersey emblazoned with the caption “HE’S BACK!” Garnett added his own enthusiastic endorsement: “Boy boy .. you looking good out there boy boy 😤😤😤🫡💯”

Tatum’s return is a massive boost for a Celtics squad (42-21) that has already maintained the second seed in the Eastern Conference during his ten-month absence.

Coming in under strict minute restrictions, Tatum ultimately logged 27 minutes on the floor, nearly double what had been expected, making the performance even more remarkable.

With 19 games left in the regular season, the Big Deuce has already cleared the most difficult hurdle. Now whole again, the Celtics are going beyond chasing franchise legends.