BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum had a busy offseason. He traveled to China, joined scrimmages at Duke University, and organized team workouts (and golf outings) in Los Angeles. The schedule of an NBA superstar is jam-packed, but the six-time All-Star still found time to keep a promise he made in the middle of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
In late April, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo suffered arguably the worst injury a basketball player can endure: an Achilles tear. Tatum happened to be watching the Western Conference playoff game when it happened, and it obviously reminded the longest-tenured Celtic of the time he ruptured his own Achilles in May of 2025.
And although Tatum had his own postseason matchup to worry about at the time, he told reporters that he was going to help DiVincenzo through the recovery process.
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“You never want to see anybody injured, especially that one,” Tatum said. “I was definitely sick to my stomach seeing him go down because I know exactly how he’s feeling. I know exactly what he has to go through. I’m going to be a resource, reach out to him. He has me in his corner, whether he likes it or not.”
Tatum had played against DiVincenzo several times before, however, they didn’t have any relationship outside of being competitors. That changed this summer, as DiVincenzo specifically cited the Celtics star as a source of inspiration and comfort.
“I would say I probably talked to JT the most, and it’s been very, very helpful,” DiVincenzo said of the guys who’ve reached out to him since his brutal injury. “Those days or weeks where you’re going, you feel like you’re not gaining as much ground as you should. You talk to those guys, and they kind of help push you along.”
If anybody knows about coming back from an Achilles injury, it’s Tatum. The 28-year-old — who’s just one year younger than DiVincenzo — underwent surgery immediately after his bad break and took the court again less than a year later in early March.
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DiVincenzo hopes to follow a similar trajectory and suit up for the T-Wolves before the 2026-27 season ends. Doing so would be a herculean task, yet he seems to have the same work ethic that fueled Tatum’s return.
As for life after the long rehab, first-year Celtic Paul George said that a player who experiences a traumatic injury like that might gain a new perspective that other, healthier guys don’t have. They play with a different kind of drive because they feel like they’ve been reborn, or that they’ve been gifted an extra basketball life.
George knows this because he broke his leg in 2014 and many wondered whether or not he’d ever hoop again. His Hall-of-Fame career continues to this day, and he expects Tatum — his new teammate — to persevere as well.
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“There is a a different mentality that you come in with when you have that understanding that I can never play this game again at some point,” George said when asked about overcoming a potential career-ending injury. “So, I I think JT does have a lot on his shoulders from a positive and a good standpoint of seeing the game a lot differently and having a different hunger.”
Tatum and George have done it. Now it’s DiVincenzo’s turn to beat the odds, but he won’t be alone in the arduous journey.
George once reached out to Tatum following the latter’s injury, Tatum recently reached out to DiVincenzo, and the cycle of NBAers uplifting one another goes on.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jayson Tatum delivers on promise to Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo
