Jayson Tatum walked into Celtics media day with a rebuilt roster around him, a repaired Achilles and no Jaylen Brown alongside him for the first time in his NBA career. Boston’s new lead voice made clear that he is ready for the responsibility, even as he reflected on the nine seasons that defined the franchise’s most successful recent stretch.
A new Boston order
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Tatum and Brown arrived as the core of Boston’s rise, enduring early playoff setbacks before helping deliver the 2024 NBA championship. Brown was named Finals MVP in that run.
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Boston’s front office broke up the tandem this offseason, sending Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in a move driven largely by payroll concerns. Carrying two contracts worth roughly $300 million was becoming untenable under the salary cap.
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The trade sent Brown to an Atlantic Division opponent that also added LeBron James, rapidly changing Philadelphia’s place in the Eastern Conference picture.
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The Celtics received Paul George in the deal, then added center Mitchell Robinson and veteran point guard Mike Conley Jr. to reshape the group around Tatum.
The Brown-Tatum relationship drew plenty of outside attention during their time together, including questions about how close they were away from the floor. Tatum instead focused on what the partnership produced and what it meant to his growth.
“The NBA is a business, and eventually that becomes part of it,” Tatum said. “I’ve seen that through almost 10 years in this league. I’m grateful for what we did, what he meant to the city and the organization, and all the highs and lows that helped us grow. We became the players we are through those nine years.”
Now a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection, Tatum enters his 10th season as Boston’s unquestioned centerpiece.
Tatum says Achilles recovery is complete
Tatum described his health as “great” as he reaches 16 months since Achilles surgery. He missed Game 7 of Boston’s first-round playoff series against Philadelphia last season after suffering the injury during the 2025 playoffs, but said a full offseason of training has changed his physical outlook.
“I had the summer to get stronger, become more explosive and work on my whole body,” Tatum said. “I’m obviously in a much better place than I was at this point last year. I’m excited and thankful for that.”
His role will be different with Brown gone, but Tatum said leadership cannot be reduced to one player simply taking more shots or giving more speeches.
“I’m very comfortable with it. This is Year 10,” he said. “Leadership has a lot of parts to it. The biggest is awareness — awareness of yourself and awareness of the group. Everybody has a role, and we’re all in this together. It can look different depending on the person.”
George slots in as a versatile No. 2 option
George said Tatum is the clear focal point of the roster and positioned himself as a flexible complement rather than a competing headliner. He also knows the terrain of returning from a major injury: George lost nearly all of the 2014-15 season with Indiana after suffering a compound fracture in his right leg during a Team USA scrimmage.
“JT is the guy,” George said. “I’m here to back him in every way. I’ve always taken pride in being able to wear whatever hat the team needs, instead of only doing one thing, while still playing at a high level. That’s how I see this situation.”
Coach Joe Mazzulla does not view the coming season strictly through the lens of replacing Brown. His focus is on identifying the strengths of the players now in the building and building a rotation around them.
“It’s not necessarily about the phrase, ‘without Jaylen,’” Mazzulla said. “Every year brings new players, older players and returning players who add to their games. The question is what our roster looks like and how we maximize its talent and strengths.”
Robinson and Mazzulla clear the air
Robinson arrived with some history involving his new coach. During Boston’s conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks two years ago, Mazzulla repeatedly used intentional fouls against Robinson, whose career free-throw percentage stands at 50.8%.
Mazzulla joked that he would miss putting Robinson on the line now that the center is wearing Celtics colors. Robinson said he needed a brief conversation before fully moving past it.
“At first there was a little issue,” Robinson said with a laugh. “I told him, ‘You need to apologize for fouling me.’ He did, and now we’re teammates. It’s going to be great to build together. I think it can be epic.”
Robinson said he worked on his foul shooting during the offseason, another small but relevant piece for a Boston team that has traded certainty for a different kind of depth. Tatum’s return, George’s arrival and the new supporting cast will determine how quickly the Celtics can turn that change into another run through the East.
