Video: Jayson Tatum Opens Up About Having COVID-19

Boston Celtic Jayson Tatum is one of the elite players in the NBA and recently Tatum tested positive for COVID-19 and was sidelined for five games in January. Recently Tatum returned to the court and while his play hasn't faltered a ton, his last game Sunday against the Washington Wizards was an obvious struggle.

On Tuesday Tatum opened up to the media and had this to say about the effects the virus has played on his conditioning:

I think it messes with your breathing a little bit. I have experienced some games where, I don't want to say struggling to breathe, but you know, you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal. It's easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster. I've noticed that since I've had COVID. It's just something I'm working on. It's gotten better since the first game I played. But I still deal with it from time to time. It's something we talked about. It's just certain stretches where ... breathing is a little out of whack. But it's gotten better ... I've talked to other guys that have had it and they've said they experienced the same thing, and it kind of just gets better over time.

Pretty crazy to think Tatum is 22-years-old and in the best shape of his life, meanwhile the virus is still messing with his breathing...

Jayson Tatum said he is still dealing with the after-effects of COVID-19 more than a month after he initially tested positive for the virus.

"Just running up and down the court a few times, it's easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster." pic.twitter.com/hnW7sVZeN4
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 16, 2021