Jayson Tatum injuring his achilles felt like the cherry on top for what was a bitter end to the Celtics season.
After the team won the 2024 championship in dominant fashion, they were unable to go back-to-back, bowing out to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. On top of that, their best player’s status for next year is in serious jeopardy.
Despite the bad vibes, Tatum has remained in high spirits. Celtics free agent guard Torrey Craig shared with CLNS Media’s Garden Report that Tatum has regularly been at the team’s training facility since suffering the injury, and has kept his chin up despite the circumstances.
“He’s getting his routine down,” Craig said. “He’s always in with his trainer doing his rehab. I think it’ll get easier as time goes on, but it’s always tough seeing somebody like that go down, especially a person like JT.”
Craig shared a video on June 9 of Tatum laughing while rehabbing at the facility.
“I always try to lighten the mood up around him, not be too serious, make jokes to see him laugh, see him smile,” he said.
“[It’s good] to see him smiling and laughing and joking around and just having a normal conversation, talking about the offseason and what I’m up to,” Craig added. “I just look forward to his recovery, the progress he’s making, and it’s always just good seeing him in good spirits.”
Tatum is coming off another exceptional season in 2025. The 27-year-old averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game as he was named All-NBA first team.
