Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles tendon injury during the Boston Celtics‘ loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The four-time All-NBA First-Team selection is expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season.
During a recent interview with “People”, Tatum revealed that he feared getting traded after suffering his injury.
“I literally sat there and cried for two hours ’cause so many things ran through my mind: ‘Damn, is my career over? Am I going to get traded? Are all my partners going to drop me?’ My basketball career flashed in front of my eyes,” Tatum said. “I’m in my prime, one of the best basketball players in the world, and it felt like it was all taken away.”
Tatum is the Celtics’ star player. It was always unlikely they would trade him, especially as he’s young enough to make a strong recovery and potentially return to an All-NBA level within a year of returning to the court. Nevertheless, it’s easy to see why his mind would go there, especially so soon after such a devastating injury.
Tatum Considered Stepping Away From Basketball
During a September 23 appearance on ESPN’s First Take, Tatum revealed that shortly after suffering his injury, he considered taking a step away from professional basketball.
“It may sound dramatic, but I remember telling my mom, like ‘Mom, I might be done,” Tatum said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to overcome this or if I’m up for this challenge.’ You know, I just felt defeated. And there was a time I was like, I don’t know if I want to do this anymore.”
Fortunately for Celtics fans, it would appear that thought process has now passed. Instead, Tatum will likely continue to push himself to get back on the court. Only then can he prove he’s still a top-10 player in the NBA when fully healthy.
Tatum Aiming To Play This Season
In that same appearance on First Take, Tatum hinted at aiming for a return to the court this season.
“I haven’t said I’m not playing this season,” Tatum said. “…I don’t go to rehab six days a week for nothing. But with that being said, with being a part of the organization and the Celtics, there is a standard that we play to, that we uphold, regardless of who we have in the lineup, who’s on the team, who’s not, there’s a sense of pride that we have when we put that uniform on, and we always are competing to win a championship, and that standard will not change.”
Tatum has posted numerous pictures of himself in the gym in recent weeks. And, while he’s still in the early stages of his rehab, it’s clear that he’s pushing to get back out on the court sooner, rather than later.
It will be interesting to see whether Tatum is cleared to play in the upcoming season. And if he is, it will be worth remembering that he’ll need time to get back to full game fitness.
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