Jayson Tatum “Considered Faking Injury for Motivation” Like Former Celtic Legend

BOSTON, MA — Following a sluggish third quarter and mounting team frustration, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum reportedly considered faking a catastrophic leg injury just to leave the court in a wheelchair and return triumphantly minutes later — a motivational tactic famously pioneered by franchise legend Paul Pierce in the 2008 NBA Finals. “I was like, ‘We need a spark,’” Tatum told reporters. “Then I remembered Paul got carried off like he’d been shot and came back five minutes later to hit a jumper. The crowd went nuts. I want that.”
According to team insiders, Tatum briefly requested a wheelchair from the Celtics training staff after lightly rolling his ankle on a wet spot, but was told, “We don’t do that anymore.” Assistant coach Sam Cassell allegedly tried to improvise the moment by pushing a folding chair toward him on wheels, but Tatum declined, saying it “didn’t feel authentic enough.” The stunt was ultimately scrapped when Derrick White reminded everyone that Pierce later admitted he just had to poop.
“I don’t know how Paul pulled it off, man,” Tatum said with admiration. “He faked a season-ending injury, got wheeled out like a fallen war hero, came back after two Gatorades and some light wipes, and suddenly he’s a Finals MVP. That’s the kind of leadership I aspire to.” As of press time, the Celtics were reviewing security footage to ensure no wheelchairs have been hidden behind the scorer’s table “just in case morale dips again.”