Back in 2017, the Boston Celtics made two major moves that would define their future, though not in the way anyone expected. First, they used the No. 3 overall pick to draft Jayson Tatum, a polished scorer from Duke.
Then, in free agency, they signed All-Star forward Gordon Hayward to a lucrative deal. At the time, Hayward was entering his prime and coming off an All-Star season with the Utah Jazz. Tatum was the rookie with promise, while Hayward was expected to be the go-to forward. But fate intervened, and everything changed on opening night.
Years later, on FanDuel TV, Hayward opened up about the dynamic between him and Tatum. He acknowledged that Tatum felt like he might have to leave the Celtics because of him.
“I think, like I said, I was coming off of, I was an All-Star, felt like I was at the brim of my career. Like, we played the same position.”
“Coach Stevens probably would have been drawing plays for me instead of drawing plays for JT or JB or whoever else me or Kyrie. And, you know, because I got hurt, now he’s getting the ball, he’s getting more opportunities, and that sometimes is all it takes.”
Hayward suffered a devastating leg injury just five minutes into his Celtics debut, an injury so gruesome that it instantly changed the Celtics’ hierarchy. Jayson Tatum was thrust into the spotlight as a rookie and seized the opportunity, eventually helping Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals that same season.
In short, Hayward admitted that if he hadn’t gotten hurt, Tatum wouldn’t have had the ball in his hands as often, or as soon. The offensive pecking order would’ve prioritized Hayward, a proven star with experience under Brad Stevens from their Butler days, over the unproven rookie.
From Tatum’s perspective, that likely raised serious questions about his future. If the Celtics were building around Hayward, Kyrie Irving, and later Kemba Walker, where did Tatum fit in?
It wasn’t personal, it was positional. Tatum and Hayward both operated as wings who needed touches and space to create. There’s only so much oxygen in an NBA offense, and Hayward being healthy might’ve delayed Tatum’s breakout.
That tension, while never explosive, was quietly real. And according to Hayward’s comments, it was enough for Tatum to contemplate leaving Boston altogether early in his career.
Thankfully for the Celtics, Hayward’s injury opened the door for Tatum, and Tatum never looked back. The two would end up sharing the court from 2017 to 2020, as Hayward eventually returned to action. But by the 2020 season, the tide had shifted completely. Tatum was already an All-Star, having earned his first selection that year, and he never looked back after that.
He’s now a six-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA First Team selection, and the face of the franchise. He helped lead Boston to an NBA championship and is widely viewed as one of the league’s top five players.
Though he is currently recovering from an Achilles tear suffered during the playoffs, Tatum’s place as the Celtics’ cornerstone is unquestioned. Ironically, what once seemed like a roster logjam may have been the unexpected twist that launched a superstar’s rise.
