Tatum recalls playing through wrist fracture in playoffs originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jayson Tatum played through multiple injuries during the Boston Celtics’ 2022 NBA playoff run.
On top of the right shoulder injury he suffered during the Eastern Conference Finals, Tatum dealt with a fracture in his wrist. The 24-year-old revealed to Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks that he played despite the wrist fracture for two months, including the postseason.
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“It was small, but it was still like a non-displaced chip. So like I chipped a bone but it didn’t leave the surface,” Tatum said. “But it had shown that the bone had grown over it so it healed, but I was still in pain because I kept getting hit or falling on it. So I guess I played with somewhat of a fracture for like two months.
“Then in the playoffs, there was a play against Milwaukee in Game 3. I dunked it, Giannis (Antetokounmpo) chased me down and fouled me and I fell into the crowd. That was the most painful it’s been since that day that I hurt it. I ended up getting a cortisone shot in my wrist that night and you could see it. I’ve lost color in my hand because it kills the fat cells and there’s not a lot of fat in my hand, so I’ve lost color right there. After each game I would have to wear a brace to shoot around and I would take it off before the cameras saw me.”
You can watch the play Tatum referenced below:
Tatum added that no one knew about the injury except the team. However, he mentioned it in his press conference after that game against Milwaukee.
“That’s something I’ve been dealing with for probably like two months now,” he said at the time. “It wasn’t anything abnormal. When I fell on it, it bothered me. But nothing I haven’t been dealing with in the last two months.”
Even with shoulder and wrist issues, Tatum averaged 25.6 points per game and shot 42.6 percent from the floor in the playoffs. Unfortunately for the C’s, it wasn’t enough to bring home Banner 18 as they went on to fall to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.