Jayson Tatum’s return to the Boston Celtics, less than 10 months removed from an Achilles surgery, was nothing short of miraculous.
His first game back on March 6 was a moment many fans won’t soon forget. But for teammate and friend Jaylen Brown, it was a lot bigger than basketball.
“It’s good to see, not only my brother back out there, but more importantly, besides basketball, the mental aspect for those who’ve had injuries – it definitely has an effect on your mental health,” Brown said on a Saturday night live stream. “So to see my boy smiling and see him out there having fun doing what he loves to do.”
Tatum was drafted just one year after the Celtics selected Brown. He has never known an NBA team without Brown on it. Much has been made of the relationship between the two superstar players, but through it all, the NBA Champions have always supported eachother publicly.
“I got to see up close and personal when he went down with his injury,” Brown said. “Watching that, and seeing that look in his eyes of uncertainty, for him to be back out there and smiling, that was a victory in itself.
“Shout out to Jayson Ttaum, shout out to Nick Sang, shout out to the medical facility for doing a great job. Beyond everything else, beyond wins and losses, just to see your brother back out there smiling and getting to do what he loves to do, that’s great.”