It’s been virtually six weeks since Jayson Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon, and to these round him, his spirits appear excessive.
That’s what Celtics free agent Torrey Craig — who has spent plenty of time on the Auerbach Middle in latest weeks — mentioned in an look on CLNS Media’s Backyard Report.
“He’s getting his routine down,” Craig mentioned. “He’s all the time in along with his coach doing his rehab. I believe it’ll get simpler as time goes on, but it surely’s all the time robust seeing anyone like that go down, particularly an individual like JT.”
Tatum posted a photograph of himself on the facility earlier this month, and Craig shared a video of the Celtics star laughing and getting remedy final week.
Craig has routinely labored out on the Auerbach Middle alongside his son, Braylon, and a few of the youthful gamers on the roster — Baylor Scheierman, Miles Norris, Drew Peterson — in addition to extra veteran gamers like Payton Pritchard and Al Horford.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown — each recovering from offseason surgical procedure — have often been within the constructing getting remedy. Craig mentioned it’s been nice to see Tatum energetic on social media and getting again to himself.
“[It’s good] to see him smiling and laughing and joking round and simply having a standard dialog, speaking concerning the offseason and what I’m as much as,” Craig mentioned. “I simply stay up for his restoration, the progress he’s making, and it’s all the time simply good seeing him in good spirits.”
”He loves the sport a lot and basketball means a lot to him. He places a lot arduous work into it, and dedication and sacrifice, and the entire above. For one thing like this to occur at that second, within the playoffs, it’s simply gut-blowing.”
So, as a frequent Auerbach Middle offseason customer, he’s making a concerted effort to maintain Tatum’s spirits excessive.
“I all the time attempt to lighten the temper up round him, not be too critical, make jokes to see him snort, see him smile,” Craig mentioned.
Torrey Craig gushed about having Tatum as a teammate
Craig, a 34-year-old veteran, has performed for six NBA groups and shared the ground with a slew of All-Stars, together with former MVPs like Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic.
What struck Craig most about enjoying with Tatum this previous season was his humility — whether or not he went off for 50 factors or had a quiet night time, Tatum was all the time precisely the identical.
“He’s in all probability probably the most — out of all of the teammates I’ve had — he’s in all probability probably the most humble of all of them,” Craig mentioned. “I believe he’s too humble, truly. To be as nice as he’s, and to be as humble as he’s, and only a type particular person, I believe folks form of take that as a right generally.”
Tatum has an extended highway forward in his restoration; medical consultants count on him to overlook anyplace from 7 to fifteen months as he returns from some of the critical accidents a basketball participant can face.
Within the meantime, these round him are grateful to have had the chance to share the courtroom with him.
“He’s a fantastic teammate,” Craig mentioned. “I believe that begins with him simply being a fantastic particular person, a fantastic human general.”
