Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum returned to the lineup on Jan. 25 after recovering from COVID-19. However, he is not fully back to full strength. Tatum is still experiencing lingering issues from that virus that are impacting him on the court.
“I think it messes with your breathing a little bit,” Tatum said, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “I have experienced some games where, I don’t want to say [I was] struggling to breathe, but, you know, you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal just running up and down the court a few times.” He continued and explained that his breathing has gotten better since returning to the lineup, but it is still easier to run out of breath.
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Jayson Tatum said he is still dealing with the after-effects of COVID-19 more than a month after he initially tested positive for the virus.
“Just running up and down the court a few times, it’s easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster.” pic.twitter.com/hnW7sVZeN4
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 16, 2021
The Celtics have struggled in recent games, losing four of the past five matchups. Getting Tatum back to full strength could help the team perform better on the court. He doesn’t know when the lingering issues will no longer pose a problem, but Tatum said that he has discussed his playing time with head coach Brad Stevens.
“It’s something that we’ve talked about,” Tatum explained. “And it’s not like every game where I feel it the whole game. It’s just certain stretches where breathing is a little out of whack, and I talk to the medical staff and coaching staff about it.”
Reports surfaced on Jan. 9 that Tatum had tested positive for the coronavirus after a win over the Washington Wizards. The team canceled practice while Tatum entered mandatory isolation. He remained away from his teammates for two weeks but returned to the lineup against the Chicago Bulls and put up 24 points.
Tatum spoke to reporters after making his return and talked about a stressful few days dealing with the coronavirus. He explained that the hardest part was immediately after learning that he had tested positive. “I don’t know if it’s panic, but you definitely worry because of everything you read about it and hear about how many people it’s affected and how many people didn’t make it,” Tatum explained.
The NBA star continued and discussed how the time in isolation and the constant worry impacted him in a noticeable way. “Especially the first four days or so, for lack of a better word, it bothered me. It was on my mind,” Tatum said. “I was thinking, ‘do I feel OK? Do I not feel OK?’ It was in my mind. ‘Can I smell this? Does my chest hurt?’ Or was I just overthinking? And then you’re in lockdown for two weeks, so mentally it can be tough, especially at first.”
