Following Friday’s victory against the Dallas Mavericks, veteran sharpshooter Klay Thompson shared some words of guidance with Jayson Tatum, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
Thompson understands the challenges of returning from serious injuries, having come back from both an ACL tear suffered during the 2019 Finals and a ruptured Achilles tendon the year after.
Tatum said Thompson’s advice centered on patience and self-understanding during the recovery process.
“One of his messages was like, ‘Man, just give yourself some grace,’” Tatum said Sunday.
“He said that he wished he would have given himself more grace. Obviously, being elite athletes and competitors that we are, we want it so bad. But I’m still on the road to recovery and this is just a phase of it.”
Tatum was still limited in playing time, yet he finished with 20 points while the Celtics secured a convincing victory in a matchup between Eastern Conference contenders.
After an emotional season debut, Jayson Tatum is relieved to be back and playing normal basketball again. Story: https://t.co/3fkxDGzIwP
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 11, 2026
