Celtics HC Noncommittal on Jaylen Brown's Opening Night Status Amid Injury

Oct 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown (7) dunks and scores against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown's status for opening night is in question after the 28-year-old left the team's preseason finale with a hamstring injury.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters Friday that Brown's injury, which occured on his left leg, is day-to-day.

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"He was able to do everything but the live stuff," Mazulla said of Brown's participation in practice Friday, per Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog. "I haven't caught up with him yet. I expect him to be at his best every single day and then we'll take it from there. But, one day at a time. "

Brown left the Celtics' 110-108 preseason win against the Toronto Raptors midway through the first quarter after experiencing left hamstring tightness. He did not return to the game.

Joe Mazzulla did not say whether Jaylen Brown would be available for Opening Night, but the injury doesn’t sound too serious:

“He was able to do everything but the live stuff.”

“It’s a day-to-day thing.”

(Qs: @RealBobManning) pic.twitter.com/SCLgg9NlSL

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) October 17, 2025

Mazulla's update, while relatively vague, is a good sign that Brown will not be sidelined for too long as he was able to participate in a majority of practice.

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The Celtics open their season Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. Already missing star forward Jayson Tatum, the team is in danger of being down their two best players going into the season.

With Tatum likely to miss most if not all of the 2025-26 season after tearing his Achilles in the 2025 NBA playoffs, Brown figures to take the mantel as the primary offensive weapon in Boston.

A New Era of Vocal Leadership for Jaylen Brown in Boston

Before the injury, Brown had been vocal about stepping up as the go-to guy for the Celtics this season. During training camp, Brown sounded off about the intensity he wants to see out of the team this season.

“The intensity from day one is what I want to see,” Brown said. “We don’t want to ease into the season. I want to, from the first preseason game, let’s get right to it.”

Brown and the Celtics have been on the receiving end of underwhelming predictions for the 2025-26 season as losing Tatum, as well as a litany of other key contributors, has reshaped what the roster looks like.

However, Brown is confident in the roster the team has constructed over the offseason.

“We just gotta stay the course,” Brown told reporters earlier this month. “We got enough. We’re looking at other teams — we feel like we’re just as talented or we could beat them. The most important thing is not hanging your head after some mistakes or hanging your head after a loss. We just gotta move forward.”

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.