Former Duke basketball star and six-time NBA All-Star Jayson Tatum will be the Blue Devils’ chief basketball officer, the program announced on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Tatum, who played at Duke in 2016-17, will be the first to hold the role.
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“We are honored to welcome Jayson Tatum as our Chief Basketball Officer,” Scheyer said in a school issued statement. “This program has always been about pushing the game forward. Jayson has been incredibly loyal to Duke since the day he committed, and this evolution represents the next step in how we connect The Brotherhood to the future of our players. Jayson is the ultimate professional. His ability to inspire, motivate, and guide our student-athletes is unmatched, and I could not be more excited to see the impact he will have on our team and our culture.”
Tatum was in attendance for Duke’s Countdown to Craziness on Friday, Oct. 3, with Scheyer hinting he will be “helping us this year,” to fans. Tatum sat alongside Scheyer during the scrimmage with his son, Deuce, and five-star recruits Jordan Smith Jr. and Cam Williams.
The role holds various responsibilities, including providing feedback on player performance, mentoring student-athletes, advising on roster construction, and sharing insights on player development, professionalism, and team culture, helping align Duke with “professional-level standards.”
“I am ecstatic about the opportunity to be Duke’s first Chief Basketball Officer,” Tatum said. “This program means so much to me, and I had an unbelievable time here. I already watch every game, come back whenever I can, and connect with Coach Scheyer often. To have the chance to formalize my relationship with the program and broaden my ability to impact the players and culture means the world to me. As former players, we all share the responsibility of supporting the next generation of Duke Basketball.”
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The Boston Celtics forward suffered a torn achilles in May with his return timeline unclear.
Duke will play exhibitions vs. UCF (Oct. 21) and at Tennessee (Oct. 26) before officially starting its season on Nov. 4 against Texas as the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Jayson Tatum named Duke basketball’s first chief basketball officer
