Joe Mazzulla Reveals His Involvement In Jayson Tatum’s Injury Rehab

The Boston Celtics are taking part in media day on Monday, and it’s safe to say this team looks very different than the one we saw the last time they were on the court. As a result, head coach Joe Mazzulla is going to have his work cut out for him.

Perhaps the biggest absence to begin the season is going to be superstar forward Jayson Tatum. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks last year, Tatum suffered a torn Achilles tendon, with the expectation being that he is going to miss the majority of the 2025-26 campaign.

Tatum has spent the offseason rehabbing this injury, but it’s a long and arduous road. Mazzulla knows that not being able to play basketball on a consistent basis has crushed Tatum, which is why he made a big effort this offseason to be there for him as much as he could.

“It’s your responsibility as a coach to be there for your guys, so 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. “As a guy that’s going through stuff, you have to know that you’re going through it together, and I think that’s a piece that’s important.”

“I was there for the first time he walked. I was there for the first time he ran. I was there for the first shots that he took. I think it’s important.”

According to pretty much every report out there, Tatum is ahead of schedule in his rehab from this injury. He was seen without a walking boot early in August, and he shared a video of himself putting shots up in the gym last week, giving fans hope he could return at some point later this season.

Boston is obviously going to play it safe with Tatum when it comes to getting him back on the court, but if he keeps on checking off items on his to-do list, he could be back sooner than expected. However, he still has a long way to go, but you can bet Mazzulla is going to continue supporting him as much as possible moving forward.