Duke Blue Devils legend Jayson Tatum has offered a rather depressing admission regarding his Achilles injury.
About a year-and-a-half ago, former Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum was at the pinnacle of the NBA world.
The Boston Celtics star had just captured an NBA championship, and he had earned his sixth straight All-Star appearance while notching First-Team All-NBA honors for the fourth time, as well.
But last May, Tatum's world came crashing down after suffering a torn Achilles in the second round of the NBA playoffs, potentially putting his 2025-26 campaign on ice.
There has been rampant speculation that the Duke product could return at some point this season, but that now appears less likely after Tatum recently said he is unsure whether or not coming back this year would be a good idea.
Not only that, but Tatum also revealed a rather depressing admission regarding his injury during an appearance on The Pivot podcast.
"It was a few weeks where I thought about like, did I make enough money?" Tatum said. "Did I accomplish enough? There were some moments ... where I thought ... I might be done."
Tatum added that he felt "cheated by the game" after the injury.
Jayson Tatum with Duke Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer. Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images."I needed some time away from the game," Tatum explained.
The 27-year-old has made remarkable progress in his recovery and had gotten to the point where some were expecting him to return in February. But it doesn't appear that rushing back to the court is a priority for Tatum at this time.
Tatum spent one season at Duke in 2016-17, averaging 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He was then selected by the Celtics with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.
Since then, the St. Louis native has established himself as one of the best players in basketball, boasting career averages of 23.6 points and 7.3 rebounds a night on 45.9/37.0/84.0 shooting splits.
Tatum has averaged over 26 points per game in six straight campaigns and posted a career-high 30.1 points a night during the 2022-23 season.
Now, Tatum has to determine what is best for his future. Not only that, but he has to take into consideration what's best for Boston, as well.
Tatum signed a massive five-year, $314 million contract extension with the Celtics during the summer of 2024.
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