Bill Simmons thinks NBC knows when Celtics star Jayson Tatum will return

Bill Simmons put on his conspiracy hat while watching NBC’s coverage of NBA All-Star Weekend and thinks he’s sussed out when Jayson Tatum will return to the Boston Celtics’ lineup.

On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, he and Zach Lowe were discussing the basketball weekend that was when Simmons admitted that he thinks NBC gave away that Tatum is returning on March 1.

“I don’t know if you saw this over the weekend. Celtics and Sixers on Sunday night, March 1st. Moved from six to eight p.m. That got a hmm,” Simmons said. “Then randomly, during breaks between the third and fourth [All-Star] game, a three-minute Jayson Tatum comeback video about his journey set up in a way that made me super suspicious that NBC and him are working together in some way…”

Simmons said he’d already been hearing the first week of March as when Tatum might return.

“Conspiracy Bill has also noted that if you go on any ticket resale site for the Dallas March 6th game, the prices are way out of whack,” Simmons added. “And it can’t just be that Cooper Flagg is coming to town. So it’s really starting to look like March 1st or March 6th, but my money would be on March 1st now for him.”

Bill Simmons believes NBC’s Tatum doc tease hinted at his return date:

“Between the third and fourth [All-Star] game, a three-minute Jayson Tatum comeback video about his journey made me super suspicious that NBC and he are working together.”

“I’d been hearing first week of… pic.twitter.com/PnpzyqDi8u

— SleeperCeltics (@SleeperCeltics) February 16, 2026

Tatum hasn’t seen any NBA action since Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals when he tore his Achilles. Boston has overperformed this season without him (35-19). While Tatum has said he still hasn’t decided if he’ll come back this season or wait until the 2026-27 campaign, his potential return now could put them over the top as a legitimate championship contender.

Is Simmons reading too much into the NBC tea leaves? Probably? Tatum’s return is imminent, and it would make sense to get him back in front of national audiences during All-Star Weekend. And the Celtics have played so well that game against the Sixers would be worthy of primetime with or without him.

If anything, it’s likely that Simmons and NBC are just picking up the same vibes and attempting to adjust accordingly for Tatum’s return. Not to mention that “super suspicious” video was part of a larger docuseries. No grand conspiracy needed.

Though if Tatum does return on March 1, we’re sure Simmons will be taking a victory lap on this prediction that came true.