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‘My body feels a lot better’: Here’s what Jayson Tatum said about his second bout with COVID-19
"Hopefully, that won't bother him to the same extent."
The last time Celtics star Jayson Tatum dealt with COVID-19, he needed an inhaler after games to help open up his lungs.
That practice lasted for the rest of the 2020-21 season and into the summer. While Tatum said he no longer needed the inhaler at media day in September, there were plenty of concerns when news broke that Tatum tested positive a second time.
Fortunately for the Celtics, Tatum — who was released from health and safety protocols last week — said he feels better this time around.
“Obviously I kind of reverted back to everything, and it kind of felt like the first go-round when I had it last year, and how tough that was and everything like that,” Tatum said. “But I feel a lot better with everything. My quarantine was shorter, my body feels a lot better, just comparing my first couple of days back working out and practicing than last year when I first came back.
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“So that’s a positive sign and a positive way to look at it.”
Tatum said he wasn’t puzzled when he tested positive a second time.
“All of the positive cases we’ve had in the league and with the guys on the team, obviously trying to stay as safe as possible but realizing there’s always risk and a possibility,” he said. “I don’t think I was puzzled. I guess just kind of what we’re dealing with right now.”
Tatum missed four games, although he was no longer in protocols during the Celtics’ wild win over the Magic on Sunday. Like everyone else, he was impressed by Jaylen Brown’s 50-point outburst.
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“We needed it,” Tatum said. “Him playing the way he did, especially late, I think the team kind of fed off of it. We were down 14 with four minutes left, and just figuring out a way to win — that was a big win for us.”
The Celtics hope getting Tatum back will give Brown a little assistance against the Spurs on Wednesday. Per Ime Udoka, Tatum might not be on a minutes restriction.
“He’s had two or three extra sessions, and he’s looking good out here with what he is doing so far,” Udoka said. “He’s the type of guy that wants to come back and get right back into his role and not be limited. Something he’s stressed that he doesn’t love is a minutes restriction and anything like that. As long as his conditioning and wind is fine, he can get right back to playing at the level that he was.”
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