Jayson Tatum admits retirement was on the table after injury
Recently practice video featuring Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum who looked a bit like himself before the Achilles injury made the rounds on social media, making Celtics fans anxious for his return. There has been no official word on whether or not it is The Celtics expect Tatum to fit in this seasonbut he recently revealed that he thought he was can be forced retirement at one point.
During a recent episode of ‘The Pivot Podcast,’ Jayson Tatum admitted that among his first thoughts after the injury was whether or not he would be forced to retire.
“Sitting in that doctor’s office and seeing the doctor put the MRI on and seeing that line through my hamstring, I just remember sitting there and breaking down crying,” Tatum said. “And I remember saying, ‘man, I can’t do this.’ Because I just knew how hard it would be. And I felt like this was the best version of Jayson Tatum ever. And now it’s like, ‘damn, I have to start all over again.’ And I remember saying, “I can’t do this.”
“And you know, it took time. There were a few weeks where I was thinking, ‘Damn, have I made enough money, have I accomplished enough,'” Tatum continued. “It was like moments like laying in my house with my leg up and I thought, ‘Damn, I might be done.'”
Tatum credited his mother for helping him get back on track and realize he could continue his NBA career after the injury.
During last season’s pre-Achilles playoff run, Tatum averaged 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals on 42.3 percent shooting from the field, 37.2 percent from the 3-point line and 88.9 percent from the free throw line. Tatum was injured during the Celtics’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Knicks.
2026-01-27 19:58:00
