Jayson Tatum may never have become the star he is today if it weren’t for a career-altering injury to one player.
Today, Jayson Tatum is arguably the most important player for the Boston Celtics in the NBA. In fact, head coach Joe Mazzulla draws most players for Tatum on any given night.
Being the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Celtics obviously expected Tatum to become a superstar at some point in his career.
However, former NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward believes one incident during the 2017-18 NBA season bolstered the speed at which Tatum grew.
After earning his first-ever NBA All-Star appearance during the 2016-17 season, Hayward left the Utah Jazz for the Celtics in the summer of 2017.
He joined the team as a top-notch free agent, but in his debut for the C’s, Hayward fractured his tibia bone, ending his season on the spot.
But Hayward believes that his injury was a silver lining for Tatum, who was a rookie during the 2017-18 season.
“I think, like I said, I was coming off of, I was an All-Star, felt like I was at the brim of my career. Like, we played the same position,” Hayward said via Run It Back on FanDuel TV.
At the time, JT felt he would’ve potentially been traded by the Celtics due to falling behind Hayward in the pecking order.
“Coach [Brad] Stevens probably would have been drawing plays for me instead of drawing plays for JT or JB or whoever else, me or Kyrie [Irving].
“And, you know, because I got hurt, now he’s getting the ball, he’s getting more opportunities, and that sometimes is all it takes.” Hayward added.
Tatum made an appearance on the Club 520 podcast in a November 2024 episode. During his appearance, Tatum discussed his initial thoughts about the C’s signing Hayward after drafting him.
“I get drafted, Gordon Hayward signs with the Celtics. I called my agent, like, ‘Yo, I gotta get traded.’ I’m in Summer League, before I ever played a game.
“He’s like, ‘Relax. Just wait it out. You gotta chill.’ I’m like, ‘Yo, I’m trying to play. I didn’t get drafted to come off the bench and not start,’ Tatum said.
The 2024 NBA champion added: “He was like, ‘You’re in a great organization. They’re going to teach you how to play the right way.’”
In hindsight, if Tatum had demanded a trade away from the Celtics, there’s no guarantee he would have become the star he is today.
As of now, JT is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon injury that he suffered during the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Will fans see history repeat itself with a young star taking away Tatum’s minutes while he recovers? Only time will tell.
