Donte DiVincenzo Says Jayson Tatum 'Very, Very Helpful' During Achilles Injury Rehab

The injured Minnesota Timberwolves guard says he and Tatum have spoken often during DiVincenzo's rehab from a ruptured Achilles tendon

Sep 28, 2026; Minnesota, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) poses for a photograph on the team's media day at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Donte DiVincenzo went down with an Achilles tear, a pit formed in Jayson Tatum’s stomach.

“I was definitely sick to my stomach yesterday seeing them go down cause I know exactly how he's feeling,” Tatum said after his Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of their opening-round series. “I know exactly what he has to go through.”

Tatum’s path to recovery has been an amazing one, and one that has bucked the historical perception of Achilles injuries. He suffered his injury in May of 2025, but he was back on the floor nine months later, a remarkable timeline for an injury that has cost some players more than an entire season. 

There were a few key elements to Tatum’s recovery. He underwent surgery the day after the injury, he had the top surgeon in the field, and the innovative new technique allowed him to step into rehab very quickly. DiVincenzo followed the same path.

“I never want anybody to go through that injury and just what's to come in the rehab process,” Tatum said back in May. “I know for a fact I'm going to reach out to him at some point. It just happened yesterday and there’s a lot going on for him. You never want to see anybody injured, especially that one.”

It turns out Tatum was one of many NBA stars, like Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton, who reached out to DiVincenzo to offer him advice and to talk through the process. Tatum has been a particularly big help. 

“I've talked to Dame, Ty, and JT, and they've helped me in different aspects,” DiVincenzo said at Timberwolves media day. “I would say I probably talked to JT the most, and it's been very, very helpful. Those days or weeks where you're going, you feel like you're not gaining as much ground as you should. you talk to those guys, and they kind of help push you along. Like, ‘alright, you're doing this better than what I did at that point. I did X, Y, Z better. So, it's different. So, just to get their perspective of what they did doesn't necessarily translate to exactly what I'm doing, but you know, it does help throughout the process.”

DiVincenzo is five months through the rehab process. If he is able to mirror Tatum’s timeline, he could be in line for a January return to action. DiVincenzo says his goal is to play this season, which would not only be a great accomplishment, but there's a chance he could spend a few months getting feet under him and be ready to contribute to a Minnesota playoff run. But he knows conversations with guys like Tatum, and the support of the staff in Minnesota, will be how he makes it happen.. 

“Having a good support group, good people around you, I think that's the most important thing for me,” he said. “Rehabbing here all summer, we've had people in and out of the building, so I'm around all the same faces, all the same people, and just speaking my mind. They're giving me their inputs on everything, and it's just you know it feels as normal as it could be.”