Jayson Tatum knew his Boston Celtics teammates and coaches probably freaked out watching their franchise forward injure his ankle late in Team USA vs. Turkey at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
So, Tatum figured he'd help put their worries to rest.
Shortly following Team USA's 93-92 overtime win over Turkey on Tuesday, Tatum texted Brad Stevens to assure the Celtics head coach his left ankle injury -- officially diagnosed as a sprain -- didn't seem serious, according to The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn.
Tatum's message apparently got through to Stevens, who reacted with expected relief Tuesday, telling Washburn it was a "moderate" sprain and Tatum would have X-rays Wednesday.
Tatum provided more reason for optimism after the game that his ankle should be fine, per The Athletic's Joe Vardon.
Watching a player of Tatum's caliber suffer an injury in international play had to give the Celtics a scare -- Who can forget Paul George's gruesome leg injury for Team USA in 2014? -- but Stevens insisted Tuesday he's perfectly fine with six of his C's players competing at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
"I think at the end of the day, you're going to be playing 5-on-5 in other places," Stevens told Washburn. "I don't think you can get any better prep than doing what those guys are doing."
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