Celtics' Jayson Tatum feels 'no pressure' in recovery from Achilles injury
Celtics star Jayson Tatum said he's not feeling any pressure to push his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
"No pressure from (Celtics president of basketball operations) Brad (Stevens), (coach) Joe (Mazzulla), the team or the organization," Tatum said Monday at the Celtics' media day. "The most important thing is that I'm 100 percent."
Tatum suffered the injury in May in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Boston lost the series to the New York Knicks.
While Tatum downplayed any urgency he or the team may feel to get him back on the court, he did discuss his difficult recovery process.
"I think the toughest part was at the beginning and kind of being in disbelief. For me, I had to accept it," he said. "I started to see a turning point, but then you're on crutches, and you're on a scooter, you're in a boot. And then you can drop one crutch and then you can drop both crutches ... That made me feel a little bit more normal."
Tatum is expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season. The Celtics were overhauled in the offseason amid lower expectations without their superstar. Veteran starters Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were traded without much in the way of established NBA talent added.
"We have a lot of guys that are unproven," Stevens said. "They're younger and maybe not quite as experienced and maybe not quite as full of NBA wisdom."
The Celtics are just 15 months removed from winning the 2023-24 championship. They'll rely heavily on the leadership of players from that title team like Payton Pritchard, Derrick White and perennial All-Star Jaylen Brown.
"We have a chance for other guys to step up," Brown said. "Empowering other guys, trusting your teammates more and trying to accelerate guys' learning curve and play some good basketball. I think that's what people want to see."
LeBron James Makes Personal Announcement, Stuns Lakers Fans
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is still a top-10 player in the NBA, fresh off making the All-NBA Second Team, while averaging an impressive 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds in his 22nd season. Off the court, “The King” continues to grow his imprint as a content creator.
Barely hours before Monday’s Media Day, James revealed that he will launch a new show titled “The Main Thing” on Uninterrupted’s YouTube channel. According to his social media feed, the new series will feature James sitting down with “masters of their crafts” and soaking up “free game,” with the debut episode set to drop on October 2.
The trailer for the new series, featuring the tagline “Everyone’s skills are transferable, no matter the court,” showcases James sitting down with personalities from diverse backgrounds and delving into their respective crafts.
Everyone's skills are transferable, no matter the court. 👏🏾
Welcome to The Main Thing, a new series where @KingJames sits with masters of their crafts and soaks up free game. Episode 1 drops Thursday, 10/2 on our YouTube channel!
Presented by @indeed. pic.twitter.com/QK2QE8KwOH
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) September 29, 2025
LeBron James, the Content Creator
“I had to get some of the most skilled and talented people out there for this one,” James said in the trailer featuring the likes of singer Teyana Taylor, fashion designer Melody Ehsani, skating legend Tony Hawk and content creator Marques Brownlee. The series will be divided into four parts, featuring conversations with four different guests.
THE MAIN THING, a four-part digital series featuring LeBron James in conversations with Marques Brownlee, Teyana Taylor, Tony Hawk, and Melody Ehsani pic.twitter.com/v0TJpgiz8m
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 29, 2025
The show adds to James’ curiosity to interview celebrities and fellow athletes, following shows such as
Back to the Grind with Lakers
LeBron James’ off-court activities have not affected his preparation for the upcoming NBA season. On media day, the 40-year-old made it clear that he’s as invested in the Lakers as he has ever been and hopes to help the team capture another championship.
“The thing that still pushes me is the fact that the love of the game is still high,” James said, via The LA Times.
“The love of the process is even higher. So that’s what continues to push me to play this game. I mean, it’s really that simple. Me training and working on my body and trying to get my body as close to 100% as possible every year, it’s something that’s like —- it’s a beautiful thing for me. Just continue to challenge to see how well I can push myself to play the game at a high level, recover at a high level, be able to sleep better, mentally prepare, try to stay sharp throughout the course of a long season.
“And just the roller coaster of an NBA season, that’s all like, gratifying to me, no matter the good, the bad, the ugly. I love that process. … So much that goes into it, more than just picking up a basketball and shooting at the rim.”
There were murmurs that James was unhappy with the Lakers for not offering him a contract extension this offseason. However, the veteran star was nothing but supportive of the franchise, the coaching staff and the roster on Monday.
