Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics explains why he is foregoing offseason surgery.
BOSTON (AP) — Celtics star Jayson Tatum ruled out wrist surgery this offseason, but he’s not regretting his decision.
Tatum fought with chronic left-wrist soreness for the most of last season. It sparked speculation about whether he could have offseason surgery. That never occurred.
Instead, after averaging a career-high 30.1 points in 74 games, Tatum reportedly had a cortisone shot and began preparing for training camp and the following regular season.
“Just got a bunch of second, third, and fourth opinions,” Tatum said on Monday during Celtics media day. “Surgery wasn’t a common one, so I wasn’t entirely certain about it, but (I) did everything right this summer.” I guess I took all the necessary precautions to ensure that I was fit and ready to enter the season without distractions.”
Based on his performance last season, Tatum’s soreness in his non-shooting hand did not appear to be a major factor. Tatum remained elevated despite a cold streak following the NBA All-Star Game and a couple playoff no-shows.
Tatum also led the Celtics in rebounding (8.8) and shot a career-high 55.8% from the field with 31 double-doubles. This sparked some early MVP debate, putting Tatum alongside Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and eventual victor Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
Tatum finished fourth on the vote despite missing only six games. He did not win a first-place vote, but he was named to the All-NBA First Team for the second time in his career.
Tatum spent a significant amount of effort this winter preparing his body after the Celtics reached rock bottom in the Eastern Conference finals. He gained another 12 pounds of muscle before camp began.
“I’ve always lifted heavier in the summer than I do in the regular season,” Tatum stated. “I suppose I set some personal records in the weight room this summer, but not by much more than I did last summer.” … I guess I’ve just gotten a little bit bigger and a little bit older with each passing year. So I believe those things are related.”
