PORTLAND –– Basketball players in Maine lent a helping hand this week to a star player for the Boston Celtics in a practice session Monday.

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been in rehab after tearing an achilles tendon during the NBA playoffs in 2025. On Monday, members of the Maine Celtics, a Portland-based minor-league farm team for the Boston Celtics, joined Tatum in Boston at a practice facility in Brighton, Mass.

“It’s a privilege to be able to help him in his return,” said Maine Celtics Head Coach Phillip Pressey. “He’s excited to get back out there and play but our guys, they were happy to help.”

Trainers help Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum (0) off the court after he was injured during the second half of Game 4 in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks, May 12, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

Pressey said several of his players are “two-way,” meaning they will often report to Boston for assignments with the Boston Celtics. Pressey said he has met Tatum before himself. He described him as a “big time human, amazing player, but his humility is real, and I think that’s what makes him who he is.”

While Tatum’s practicing with the Maine Celtics is seen as a step forward, it’s still unclear when he will return to the Boston Celtics roster. For now, though, Pressey said he and his fellow players are thrilled to be able to help Tatum’s rehab.

“Anytime you get to do anything with the Boston Celtics, it’s a big-time honor,” he said.

The Maine Celtics, a minor-league farm team for the Boston Celtics, helped Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum this week. (Spectrum News/Sean Murphy)