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Having suffered the same injury and came back from it a better player all-around, Hall of Fame Boston Celtics alum Dominique Wilkins is not worried about Jayson Tatum's recovery from a torn Achilles tendon. Now serving as Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Atlanta Hawks, 'Nique recently caught up the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn to talk about Tatum, his injury and path back to high-level play on the court, and what Wilkins' own experiences dealing with such an injury in the Boston market tells him about what the St. Louis native will need to do to get back to his lofty heights.
"That injury is a serious injury," explained Wilkins, avoiding making light of the impact it has on a player despite the more optimistic prognoses we have been hearing in some corners.
"And Jayson had the same type of injury I had, meaning he had a complete tear because there is no way you could walk off the floor," he added. "That’s a devastating injury but the thing is the work he puts in is going to determine what he gets out of it."
"I worked twice a day every day for nine months and came back quicker than anybody," said Wilkins. "But it was my level of commitment, and Jayson is a kid that loves the game, and I have a lot of respect and am a fan of his. I have no doubt that he’s going to put in the work to get back to the same level he was."
"I thought I would lose something, but I came back a better and more all-around player," said the Hall of Fame forward, alluding to his growth as a 3-point shooter on his return.
"That was because of the work I put in, and I wanted to prove all the doubters wrong. I learned how to play the game more on the ground. When you have an injury like that, it forces you to go to other aspects of the game to be as effective."
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Dominique Wilkins on why Jayson Tatum can come back better than ever
Continue reading...
"That injury is a serious injury," explained Wilkins, avoiding making light of the impact it has on a player despite the more optimistic prognoses we have been hearing in some corners.
"And Jayson had the same type of injury I had, meaning he had a complete tear because there is no way you could walk off the floor," he added. "That’s a devastating injury but the thing is the work he puts in is going to determine what he gets out of it."
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"I worked twice a day every day for nine months and came back quicker than anybody," said Wilkins. "But it was my level of commitment, and Jayson is a kid that loves the game, and I have a lot of respect and am a fan of his. I have no doubt that he’s going to put in the work to get back to the same level he was."
"I thought I would lose something, but I came back a better and more all-around player," said the Hall of Fame forward, alluding to his growth as a 3-point shooter on his return.
"That was because of the work I put in, and I wanted to prove all the doubters wrong. I learned how to play the game more on the ground. When you have an injury like that, it forces you to go to other aspects of the game to be as effective."
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Dominique Wilkins on why Jayson Tatum can come back better than ever
Continue reading...
