While Jayson Tatum is still a long ways away from playing basketball for the Boston Celtics again, the superstar forward was the talk of the team's Media Day on Monday. Decked out in his full Celtics uniform, Tatum had a lot to say about coming back from the Achilles injury he suffered last postseason.

Tuesday will mark five months since Tatum underwent surgery in New York, and he's hit several important milestones since that day. But it wasn't always easy for the 27-year-old. 

Tatum said the night he ruptured his Achilles at Madison Square Garden was "traumatic" and something he will always remember vividly.

"It all happened so fast," Tatum said Monday. "I was focused on trying to win another championship, and the next day I'm in surgery and I have a big ass split on my foot. It all happened so fast and it was tough to process in that moment, for sure."

Tatum said the toughest battle came right at the beginning of this ordeal when he was still in a state of disbelief. Once he accepted the road ahead, he believes it signaled a major turning point in his recovery.

"At the moment I accepted this happened and this would be part of my life and my journey, I started to see a turning point. But then you're on crutches and have a scooter, you're in a boot. Then you drop one crutch, then you drop both crutches. At that point, things that you take for granted -- walking around with your hands free -- it made me feel more normal. Getting out of the boot was a made all the difference. Weight lifting workouts feel a lot more normal," he said.

Tatum had a massive return to normalcy last week, when he went through a full on-court workout. He posted video of the workout over the weekend, and said Monday he's currently in a "really good spot." 

"Getting back on the court and being able to participate in a basketball workout was definitely one of the more bright spots in this journey. It felt really good to be on the court, dribbling the basketball and going through a workout. You know, feeling like a basketball player again," said Tatum.

Tatum is not closing the door on potentially returning to the Celtics during the upcoming season, and echoed that he wants to return at TD Garden in front of Celtics fans. The organization isn't putting pressure on him to return as quickly as possible, with everyone's focus on getting Tatum back to 100%.

While he's back to putting up shots on his own, Tatum said some tougher days are ahead when the rest of the team begins training camp on Tuesday.

"Now it's a tough spot to be in because the team is practicing tomorrow and I won't be out there," he said. "I'm sure once the season starts and I'm not out there, it will be challenging. But you look for bright days when you can get them." 

Jayson Tatum's support group chat

Tatum is receiving loads of support from his Boston teammates, and head coach Joe Mazzulla has been by his side nearly every step of the way.

"Whenever I could lift with him, whenever I could be there for treatment, whenever I could rebound for him, I think it was important to do that," Mazzulla said Monday. "I was there the first time he walked. I was there the first time he ran. I was there for the first shots he took."

But Tatum's support group doesn't end in Boston. There were a rash of Achilles injuries in the NBA last season, with New Orleans' DeJounte Murray, Portland's Damian Lillard, and Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton all in different stages of their recovery at the moment.

The four players have a group chat going where they offer up support for each other, which has helped each of them throughout the process.

"The silver lining in the relationship I have with those guys is we all truly understand what each other is going through. Different stages in our career, different ages, but we all can put ourselves in each other's shoes," explained Tatum. "The cool part is the brotherhood of the NBA and those conversations of truly rooting for one another and wanting each other to overcome what we are all dealing with. 

"That is special," added Tatum. "You're not always in that situation, especially with guys from different teams. We all understand each other and what each person is going through, and truly want the best for each guy."