The Boston Celtics haven’t been nearly as healthy this year as last year. From Kristaps Porzingis to Jrue Holiday to Sam Hauser, a lot of Celtics have missed a lot of time this season. Even Jaylen Brown has missed a bunch of games, mainly due to a bunch of (seemingly) lingering knee ailments. But Jayson Tatum has been fine.
For the entirety of his career, Tatum has been an ironman for the Celtics. A juggernaut when it comes to playing every single possible game and staying healthy. In fact, he’s made it a point to play in as many games as possible, especially on the road.
“Not trying to be arrogant, there's a bunch of kids in there with my shoes and my jersey and just because we're playing Charlotte on NBA League Pass on a Monday that ain't nobody f--king watching, I'm like 'Oh, I'm chilling tonight.' That's not what the great players, the best players do,” Tatum said back in 2023.
Jayson Tatum still hates to sit out games
Fast forward to today, and Tatum is still fighting against the Celtics’ desire to have him sit out for some games during the regular season. Boston wants him to rest, but Tatum doesn’t want to do that.
Even after beating the Miami Heat on Friday night, Tatum still played against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night, playing both games in a road-road back-to-back.
“A lot of head-butting, for sure. And I’ve always said, like, [I’m] still young, but I just turned 27, so I understand the balance,” Tatum said via Noa Dalzell of SB Nation.
Tatum reiterated the same point he made two years ago—it’s important to him to play in road games.
“I’ve talked about the value that I’ve put into playing in road games,” he said. “I’ve been very blessed and fortunate to come into arenas — I see a lot of Tatum jerseys. I understand it might be for their birthday, Christmas gift, or whatever.”
Jayson Tatum was asked by @tvabby about the conversations regarding him resting, and once again made clear he doesn’t like sitting on the road:
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) March 15, 2025
“A lot of head-butting, for sure.... I’ve talked about the value that I’ve put into playing in road games. I’ve been very blessed and… pic.twitter.com/BXzrTYmrZi
No matter the situation, no matter the game, no matter the team, Tatum is going to want to play. Hearing that he and the team have butted heads on the issue so many times, and still do to this day, should be music to Celtics fans’ ears.
Having a superstar so committed to playing as many games as possible is an absolute dream for fans, and Tatum has made it his mission to do just that. And he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.