While Jayson Tatum (the current Chief Basketball Officer in Durham) was never able to secure that National Championship for the Blue Devils, the former Duke star has gone on to win quite a few titles as a pro, finally securing an NBA Championship in 2024.
However, during the Boston Celtics' run through the postseason last year, Tatum had to leave Game 4 against the New York Knicks with an Achilles injury. The Duke Blue Devil still has yet to return to the court.
Despite being sidelined, Tatum has been a visibly vocal teammate as the Celtics started the season 2-3 overall, clearly missing his presence in the game itself.
Jayson Tatum has turned from teammate to coach
Tatum will return to playing. Don't worry, his incredible career is far from over. However, he has undeniably become a leader for Boston throughout the first five games of the year. In fact, he has opted into traveling with the Celtics, even though it isn't necessarily required of him.
“Not being able to be out there with the team is already tough enough," Tatum said. "But still traveling and being with them during meetings and games and practices and shootarounds, trying to feel as much a part of the team as I can, it really helps my mental out a lot.”
Even though he has to just sit there and watch his teammate play the game he loves, he wants to ensure that his support and belief in his team are felt.
Jayson Tatum on why he’s traveling with the team:
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) October 30, 2025
“Not being able to be out there with the team is already tough enough. But still traveling and being with them during meetings and games and practices and shootarounds — trying to feel as much a part of the team as I can — it… pic.twitter.com/CjpubBNO1B
Tatum was a big piece of why the Celtics won the title just two years ago, despite teammate Jaylen Brown taking home the Finals MVP trophy. He has become a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA First-Team player.
The Duke product was the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, only trailing Markelle Fultz, from Washington, and Lonzo Ball, from UCLA. Simply put, while Tatum was great for the Blue Devils, he has only gone on to bigger and better things since then.
Tonight, the Celtics face the Philadelphia 76ers at 7 p.m. ET. Duke and Boston fans alike can tune into Amazon Prime to see the team in action, with Tatum likely still on the sidelines.