The Boston Celtics rookie, Jayson Tatum disclosed in a Sunday interview that he played with a fractured wrist during the 2022 NBA playoffs. The Celtics made their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2010, where they were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in six games. Tatum did not miss any games during the playoffs while leading the team.
Tatum revealed in an interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report that he initially sustained the injury during a victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Super Bowl Sunday. Originally scheduled to have his wrist examined during the All-Star break, he chose to play through the discomfort rather than miss any games.
“It was small, but it was still like a non-displaced chip. So like I chipped a bone but it didn’t leave the surface,” Tatum said. “But it had shown that the bone had grew over it so it healed, but I was still in pain because I kept getting hit or falling on it. So I guess I played with somewhat of a fracture for like two months.
"I played with somewhat of a fracture for two months" 🤯
Jayson Tatum opens up about playing through an undisclosed injury during the playoffs in live interview with Taylor Rooks in B/R app pic.twitter.com/kt7xZCV36W
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 21, 2022
“Then in the playoffs, there was a play against Milwaukee in Game 3. I dunked it, Giannis (Antetokounmpo) chased me down and fouled me and I fell into the crowd. That was the most painful it’s been since that day that I hurt it. I ended up getting a cortisone shot in my wrist that night and you could see it. I’ve lost color in my hand because it kills the fat cells and there’s not a lot of fat in my hand, so I’ve lost color right there. After each game I would have to wear a brace to shoot around and I would take it off before the cameras saw me.”
Tatum stated that nobody, besides the team, was aware of the injury. He did, however, bring it up in his post-game presser versus Milwaukee. Tatum averaged 25.6 points per game and shot 42.6 percent from the field in the postseason while having wrist and shoulder problems. Unfortunately, the C’s lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, so it wasn’t enough for them to carry home Banner 18.
The youngster may not use his injuries as an excuse, but they could help explain why his shooting and ball handling were occasionally erratic. Tatum may not have a shattered wrist or a strained shoulder. Tatum should be fully healthy going into the upcoming campaign, and the Celtics will once again be among the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.
