Jayson Tatum is back in the gym and back in the kind of work that tells you exactly where Boston’s mind is headed for the 2026-27 season.
The Celtics superstar, who played only 16 regular-season games last year while coming back from the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the 2025 playoffs, recently got in a boxing session with head coach Joe Mazzulla. Boston shared video of the two working out with gloves on Sunday, another sign that Tatum is already deep into his offseason prep.
Boxing has become part of Tatum’s routine before. He also trained with former professional boxer Shawn Porter last month, using the sport as a way to sharpen footwork, hand-eye coordination and conditioning.
The timing matters because Boston’s offense is about to look a lot different. With Jaylen Brown traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, Tatum is set to reclaim his spot as the Celtics’ primary option and could carry a bigger scoring load than he has in previous seasons.
That’s not just theory - the numbers back it up. In 2022-23, Tatum’s highest-scoring season, he posted a career-high 32.7% usage rate, and Boston went 33-1 in regular-season games when that number hit at least 33%.
The Celtics have kept winning when Tatum is running the show in other years, too. They went 26-12 in those games in 2021-22, 18-3 in 2023-24 and 22-3 in 2024-25. Over the five seasons from 2020-21 through 2024-25, Tatum averaged more than 26 points per game every year.
Since 2022-23, and leaving out his brief return late last season, Boston has gone 73-7 when Tatum’s usage rate climbed above 33%. It’s a clear snapshot of how tightly the Celtics’ success has been linked to his offensive involvement.
Now, with Brown gone, that responsibility only grows. Tatum’s work with Mazzulla is happening with that reality front and center, as Boston prepares to lean even more heavily on its undisputed No. 1 option.
The first meeting between Tatum and Brown after the trade is set for Nov. 10 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
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