Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum not thrilled about NBA bubble

The Boston Celtics travel down to Orlando on Wednesday and even though he is playing, Jayson Tatum isn’t too thrilled about being in a bubble.

Usually, when you are headed to Disney World you are excited at the possibilities. It is the most magical place on Earth after all, but right now Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum isn’t exactly thinking about all the cool rides he can go on.

When Tatum heads down to Orlando he will be trapped in a bubble. He will be stuck and have nowhere to go. As much as being trapped in Disney sounds awesome, it will probably get old really quick.

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NBA players are taking a great risk heading down to Florida. They might be making millions of dollars but it doesn’t change that.

Florida has quickly become one of the coronavirus capitals of the world. Cases continue to surge yet the NBA and MLS are determined to play.

Also being trapped in one place isn’t the best thing for someone’s mental health. This is an issue that players around the league have brought up. Players will be without their family for a long time.

Tatum spoke about his decision in a Zoom call with media members on Tuesday.

"“I don’t think I made a decision until probably a few days ago,” he said. “There’s a multitude of reasons why I wasn’t comfortable, still not excited about it, not thrilled. Obviously with what we’re fighting for against racism and social injustice and equality. Obviously, the virus is still very well and alive and continues to rise in Florida.“For me, just being away from my son for two or three months, that is what’s bothering me. Knowing that he is only 2.5 (years old) and especially when they are that young and their growth, they change every week — knowing I am going to miss out on that. Missing my mom, missing my family. It’s been tough. Obviously, I missed playing basketball. I missed competing. But, all those reasons and thoughts came to my mind about not going and not playing.“I decided to play obviously because we’re going to try and compete for a championship, but hopefully this is a great opportunity to continue to raise awareness and be apart of history as we continue the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against racism. Hopefully this is going to help. A lot of people are going to be watching. I think we can make a stand, continue to raise awareness and not let the conversation die down.”"

As Tatum mentioned this is bigger than basketball. Players across the league are hoping to use their platform to continue the fight against racial injustice.

It will take a while for players to get used to life in the bubble and playing basketball again. The first few games probably won’t be the best.

Tatum will be an important part of Boston’s success in the playoffs. He has been their best player so far this season. In the regular season, Tatum averaged 23.6 points and 7.1 rebounds a game. He reached a new level this season.

If Tatum struggles early on, the Celtics could find themselves going home rather quickly. Even with analysts saying their game is built for the situation the NBA finds itself in.

So hopefully Tatum will be able to relax and distract himself from being trapped in the bubble and just focus on playing basketball.