Jayson Tatum Nearly Left the Celtics Before Stardom, but a Twist of Fate Made Boston His Team Forever
When the Boston Celtics selected Jayson Tatum with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, they weren’t simply adding a young prospect—they were placing a calculated bet on potential. Tatum had the tools, no doubt. He was smooth, skilled, and built like the modern NBA wing. But that summer, the Celtics also made another, more immediate move: signing Gordon Hayward to a four-year, $128 million deal. In one sweeping offseason, Boston had secured both the future and the now. Or so they thought.
At the time, Hayward was a freshly minted All-Star coming off a career year with the Utah Jazz. He was expected to be the engine of the Celtics’ offense, a versatile scorer who could carry a contender deep into the playoffs. And he wasn’t a stranger to head coach Brad Stevens—his former college coach at Butler. It all made sense on paper. Until reality took a cruel turn.
Opening night of the 2017-2018 season at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Just five minutes into the game, as Hayward cut to the basket for a lob, his leg gave out. The visual was horrifying. The reaction in the arena—players recoiling, fans silent—spoke volumes. Hayward had suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured tibia. His season was over before it had even truly started.
Suddenly, the Celtics had no choice but to throw their rookie into the fire. And Jayson Tatum didn’t flinch. Instead, he flourished. Alongside fellow youngster Jaylen Brown and under the steady hand of Kyrie Irving, Tatum quickly emerged as a dependable scorer and poised performer. He averaged 13.9 points and 5 rebounds during the regular season, but it was the postseason where his legend began to take root.
In the 2018 playoffs, Tatum led the Celtics in scoring during their deep run to the Eastern Conference Finals. At just 20 years old, he was battling LeBron James on the biggest stage outside the NBA Finals—and holding his own. In Game 7, he dunked on LeBron in a moment that felt symbolic, a torch-passing that never quite materialized in that series but foreshadowed what was to come.
Yet even as the city embraced him and the league began to take notice, Tatum wasn’t always sure this was going to be his team. Behind the scenes, he could feel it. The depth chart. The hierarchy. The expectations. Gordon Hayward would eventually return, and when he did, the spotlight was supposed to follow him.
Years later, Hayward himself acknowledged it. In a candid reflection, he admitted that had he remained healthy, the offense likely would’ve run through him—not Tatum. “I was at the brim of my career,” Hayward said. “Coach probably would’ve drawn plays for me, not JT.” It wasn’t an insult—it was the reality of how the NBA works. Pedigree matters. Contracts matter. And for all of Tatum’s talent, he was still just a rookie back then.
In those early days, whispers circulated that Tatum was unsure about his place in Boston. Not because of any animosity—he and Hayward always maintained mutual respect—but because of basketball fit. Could a rising star truly ascend if he wasn’t given the runway to take off? Could a player become a franchise cornerstone if he had to constantly defer?
It’s easy to forget now, but back then, nothing was guaranteed. Player movement in the NBA was fluid, and Tatum had suitors. Around the league, teams quietly monitored his situation, aware that Boston had multiple stars and only one ball. Some insiders speculated he might eventually seek a bigger role elsewhere if the Celtics couldn’t offer him the freedom he craved.
But fate, as it so often does in sports, had other plans. Hayward’s injury—tragic though it was—accelerated Tatum’s timeline. It forced Boston to see him not as a developmental project, but as a foundational piece. He responded with poise and fire, showing a maturity beyond his years. And with each passing season, the Celtics leaned into him more and more.
Hayward would return, but the team was no longer his. Injuries continued to derail his time in Boston, and by 2020, he was gone—signing with the Charlotte Hornets in free agency. Meanwhile, Tatum kept climbing. All-Star selections. Deep playoff runs. Game-winners. Clutch performances. His bag grew, his confidence sharpened, and eventually, there was no question: this was Tatum’s team.
Still, it wasn’t a straight line. The Celtics experienced heartbreaks and near-misses. They lost a brutal NBA Finals to the Warriors in 2022. They faced criticism for inconsistency, for stagnation, for not getting over the hump. But through it all, Tatum never bailed. He stayed. He led. He kept putting in the work.
The culmination came in 2024. After years of “almosts,” Boston broke through, winning their first NBA title since 2008. Tatum, at just 26 years old, was the engine. A six-time All-Star, an Olympic gold medalist, and now, an NBA champion. He didn’t just help bring a banner back to Boston—he became the face of a franchise built on banners.
Looking back now, it’s staggering how close it all came to not happening. A healthy Gordon Hayward might’ve changed the trajectory entirely. A frustrated young Tatum might’ve taken a different path. But the unpredictable nature of sports—the injuries, the opportunities, the moments no one can script—intervened. And it created something iconic.
Tatum’s journey is not just a testament to talent, but to resilience and timing. He didn’t walk into a perfect situation. He had to grow into it, had to fight for his place, and had to navigate a complex roster full of egos and expectations. But he never demanded the spotlight. He earned it.
Today, you can’t talk about the Celtics without talking about Jayson Tatum. His name is etched into the lore of the team alongside legends. And perhaps most importantly, he embodies what Boston basketball has always been about—toughness, loyalty, and a relentless will to win.
In another reality, maybe Hayward never gets hurt, and Tatum never gets his shot. Maybe he walks away before ever truly arriving. But in this reality—the one where he stayed, where he seized his moment, and where he transformed potential into power—he didn’t just arrive. He conquered.
And the Celtics, well, they never looked back.