Jayson Tatum opens up on returning this season: ‘A lot of it had to do with where the team was at’
It was a decision, after all, that most of his NBA peers made, and one that would have taken lots of the pressure off — every misstep could have occurred in private, at the Celtics ’ practice facility, rather than on national television. There’s a world where he returned to NBA action after months and months of full-speed 5-on-5 scrimmages, rather than weeks. ”That’s a loaded response,” Tatum said, with a smile.
“It was a range of emotions, of things I was dealing with and contemplating and thinking about. ” Then, he addressed a reality he’d rarely touched upon since his return: this Celtics team was a championship contender. Could he really pass up the opportunity to be a part of that?
“A lot of it had to do with where the team was at, and never wanting to take moments in a season for granted, just thinking like, ‘Oh, we’ll be good next year,’” Tatum said. “It’s like, I’ve been in the league [a long time], I’ve been fortunate to be on a lot of really good teams. And, you never want to take for granted the opportunity to be on the team that’s contending for a championship.
” Celtics Blog This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jayson Tatum opens up on returning this season: ‘A lot of it had to do with where the team was at’