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Jayson Tatum’s son, Deuce, wrote a letter in Slam Magazine about Celtics star’s comeback
The eight-year-old wrote about the ups and downs of watching his dad deal with a significant injury.
Jayson Tatum’s eight-year-old son, Deuce, recently had a letter published in Slam Magazine.
In the letter, Deuce explains in his own words what his father’s recovery from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon was like. He wrote about how sad he felt when the elder Tatum suffered the injury last year and his pride watching his dad go through the rehab process.
He also got some help from younger brother Dylan in an attempt to cheer the Celtics star up.
“When Daddy first got injured, I felt sad,” Deuce wrote. “To try to make him happy, I would give him a hug or tell my brother Dylan to come over and cuddle with him. I’d ask my dad what he was sad about and give him ideas on other things to do instead of doing whatever he’s sad about.”
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Jayson Tatum missed the first three-quarters of this regular-season, which was a little less than ten months without playing in an NBA game.
Rehab processes can be grueling, but the extra time off the court allowed for more quality time, which Deuce said he enjoyed.
“One good thing about the injury that I like is that me and Dylan got to do stuff with him, like lay with him and do fun things with him,” Deuce wrote. “I was happy that I still had someone to play with.”
The younger Tatum said he was excited to see his father return to action against the Mavericks earlier this month.
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It was the culmination of a long process which revealed some of the Celtics star’s strength.
“After seeing Daddy go through surgery and physical therapy, on a scale from 1 to 100 for how tough he is, I would say he’s a 79,” Deuce wrote. “Because he’s not as strong as, like, bodybuilders and stuff, but he is really, really, really strong.”
Deuce said he felt a mix of happiness and pride to see his dad play basketball again. A ten month wait can be a long time for anyone, especially an eight-year-old.
But, they got through it, and the thrill of another playoff run is just around the corner.
“I don’t think I was ever scared that he wouldn’t play again, but it did take a long time,” Deuce wrote. “Last year he couldn’t even walk! I knew he would always get back to being his old self, because he practiced. He got treatment, he played basketball. He worked really hard to play basketball. He told me, he was working hard to get back to play basketball again.”
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