Celtics’ Jaylen Brown applauds Jayson Tatum for being an ‘extra coach’ while out

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Celtics’ Jaylen Brown applauds Jayson Tatum for being an ‘extra coach’ while out

Daniel Donabedian, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sat, Nov 15, 2025 ·

4 min read

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The post Celtics' Jaylen Brown applauds Jayson Tatum for being an 'extra coach' while out appeared first on ClutchPoints .

BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum always wants to win, but he can't help his team capture victories from the sidelines while rehabbing a ruptured Achilles . Well, at least not directly.

Even though the six-time All-Star might not be able to play this season , he's still determined to do everything he can to impact winning. Tatum has instructed younger teammates, remained vocal on the bench, and served as a positive presence in the locker room despite his unfortunate injury.

Fellow Celtics star Jaylen Brown has been a fan of Tatum's off-court efforts, going as far as calling him an unofficial addition to Boston's coaching staff.

"He's been super active and around," Brown said after a Saturday morning practice. "It's been dope to see. He's been engaged, been on the majority of flights, been in almost every film session. That level of dedication, you can tell he's eager to get back." A lot of guys, they got an extended amount of time, they're gonna separate themselves mentally for a little bit…But he's been almost like an extra coach."

What Tatum is doing isn't necessarily the norm. When some players are expected to miss a significant amount of time, they often take a laissez-faire approach and let the team figure itself out. Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez just got to the league, and even he understands that Tatum is more hands-on than most NBA players would be in his situation.

"I don't know many players travel with the team with while injured," Gonzalez noted on Saturday. "He'd love to be on the court, but he's just trying to help anybody that's around him."

How Jayson Tatum has helped lead the Celtics despite his injury

Although Tatum has no clear timeline for returning to action, he's fully committed to the recovery process. The drive he's shown in his attempts to come back is also a form of leadership, according to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla , who believes the example Tatum is setting inspires the rest of the C's.

"Obviously, his ability to lead on the court has been taken away," Mazzulla stated. "He's done a great job leading off the court. One, with the work ethic of his recovery. But at the same time, the individual relationships he's built being on the bench having those communications, whether it's in practice or in game. That's been invaluable to the locker room and it's another way of his ability to lead."

One Celtic Tatum has been in direct communication with is center Neemias Queta . The 7-footer was drafted in the second round in 2021 by the Sacramento Kings and was eventually cut loose by them. The Celtics took a chance on the Portugal native and developed him into a legitimate NBA starter, averaging over eight points and eight rebounds per outing through 13 games this season.

Queta said during a Friday afternoon practice that while he's still a "work in progress" in his starting role, he feels more comfortable on the court than in previous years. He mentioned that his conversations with Tatum have aided his progression.

"He's been on me from the moment I got here in Boston," Queta recalled. "We've been able to build that relationship. He's always trying to help me figure out what I can do better, figure out how I can get my teammates open. [He's] just trying to be a kind of coach, so to speak, as he can't play right now. But I feel like he's been one of the most vocal guys and he's always trying to lead us with what he can say."

Players and coaches alike clearly value Tatum's voice, regardless of his playing status. Perhaps a career in coaching is in the 27-year-old's future, as his father, Justin, is the skipper of the NBL's Illawarra Hawks in Australia.

But if Tatum has proven anything during his dedication to the recovery process, it's that the only future he's envisioning is when he'll suit up for the Celtics again and dazzle the TD Garden crowd.

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