Thoughts on Jayson Tatum's Injury

It looks like Jayson Tatum has a pretty serious injury. He got hurt near the end of the Celtics-Knicks game last night, and it did not look good. There have been no real reports or updates as of now, but I would venture to guess he tore his ACL.

This bums me out. By no means am I a Celtics fan. I have always rooted against them. I don't like them, most of their fans and their smug attitude. I always rooted for whoever was playing against them, and I still do. Go Knicks. But, I do like Jayson Tatum. He is from Saint Louis. He has an attitude that I like from a pro athlete. I feel like he is never seriously talked about as a top five player, and that's bogus to me. Tatum is most definitely a top five player, and there's only one, maybe two guys I'd take before him if I were starting a team today. He is an efficient offensive scorer. He can get to the rim and shoot the three. He is also a great free throw shooter. What separates him from other so called superstars, he is also a great defender. He cares about defense and he plays hard on that end of the floor. He goes 100 percent all the time and has not missed much time since he made his way to the NBA. Tatum is an underappreciated star, much like Tim Duncan. So this injury is really going to mess stuff up and I'm going to miss watching him play the game of basketball for what is most likely going to be more than a year. 

His injury bums me out for other reasons too. Tatum is a fun modern player for me to watch. He does play the game how most do now, putting up a ton of threes, but he also does some old school stuff too, and he does it well. He has a wonderful mid range game. He can get to the hoop. He is a solid dunker. He is a good passer who is seemingly always making the right decision. I mentioned his solid defense earlier. Tatum is so good and quiet about how good he is at basketball. He doesn't need to be boastful or on the internet talking about how great he is. He lets his game do the talking, and I really like that about him. He is also a good father. He has his son with him all the time and he is always doing stuff with him. I like how he promotes his kid and wants what is best for him. He seems like a natural fit as a dad, and being a dad myself, that is a relief to see from such a big time player. It is also clear that Tatum loves this game and is always trying to get better. I feel like he is always trying to find something to better his game. He wants to find a way to get an edge. That reminds me of the old school players who did what it took to become the best.

Tatum is not satisfied. He has a ring, but it is clear he wants more. He wants to get accolades too, but he wants to win above all else. That is refreshing to see in a young, modern superstar. Tatum loves the game and it shows. I like that from NBA players. Seeing this injury, and pondering the fallout, this stinks. He is too good a player and a person to be gone from the NBA for over a year. I wish this weren't the case, but here we are. Heal up and get better soon Jayson Tatum, the NBA needs you. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.

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