Wolves coach praises Jayson Tatum for uplifting Achilles comments

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Wolves coach praises Jayson Tatum for uplifting Achilles comments

Souichi Terada · MassLive

Tue, Apr 28, 2026 ·

3 min read

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Jayson Tatum said he was watching Game 4 on Saturday between the Timberwolves and Nuggets when he saw Donte DiVincenzo go down with a ruptured right Achilles injury. Tatum, having gone through the injury and rehab himself, knows exactly what the Wolves guard has to face in the coming months.

Tatum had some uplifting comments for DiVincenzo following the Celtics’ Game 4 win over the Sixers on Sunday. While Tatum said he didn’t know DiVincenzo personally, he sent the Wolves guard his support. Minnesota coach Chris Finch made sure to acknowledge Tatum’s comments Monday before Game 5 of their series.

“Jayson Tatum’s comments I thought were super classy,” Finch told reporters. “Kind and compassionate. Mean a lot. I know Donte heard them and he’s been such a great example of what’s possible. Of course, top-notch medical team and rehab team around him. It certainly provides inspiration — that’s what you need when you come back from an injury like that.”

Here are Tatum’s full comments following the Game 4 win over the Sixers:

“I never want anybody to go through that injury and just what’s to come in the rehab process,” Tatum said. “I only know him from like competing against him and things like that, but I know for a fact I’m going to reach out to him at some point. It just happened (Saturday) and there’s a lot going on for him. I’m glad he got his surgery (Sunday). My thoughts and prayers have been with him.

“Hopefully it went successful. I have no doubt about that. You never want to see anybody injured, especially that one. I was definitely like sick to my stomach (Saturday) seeing him go down cause I know exactly how he’s feeling. I know exactly what he has to go through. But now, I’m gonna be a resource, reach out to him. He has me in his corner, whether he’s gonna like it or not. I’ll definitely reach out to him soon.”

DiVincenzo has some similarities to Tatum’s injury, including the surgery timeline. While DiVincenzo wasn’t in New York already like Tatum was last playoffs, DiVincenzo was able to undergo surgery the next day. He also was operated on by surgeon Dr. Martin O’Malley, who also performed Tatum’s surgery last May.

It’s a tough break for DiVincenzo as he’ll spend the next several months rehabbing the injury. He was enjoying a successful campaign with the Wolves as a starter, but his future is now uncertain.

Tatum has documented his own return from his ruptured right Achilles tendon last playoffs. He went down with his injury May 2025 in Game 4 of the East semifinals against the Knicks. While it was unclear if he would return this season, Tatum made his comeback March 6 against the Mavericks.

It’s been an impressive return since Tatum has been back on the court. He eased his way back into a full allotment of minutes, but it’s clear he’s more like his pre-injury self. Tatum is coming off a 30-point performance in the Celtics’ blowout win over the Sixers in Game 4. Tatum has been a source of inspiration for guys going through the Achilles rehab themselves.

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