You just can’t keep star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum away from the game of basketball, it seems. The St. Louis native has accepted a job with his collegiate alma mater to become Duke‘s first-ever chief basketball officer, per a release circulated on social media by the Blue Devils.
This role will presumably not hinder his recovery process for the Achilles tendon injury he suffered vs. the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals. But with the Duke alum having considerably more time available to him than usual during that process, this novel arrangement of an active (if injured) NBA player working in the college ranks simultaneously could make sense for all involved.
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According to the release, the Chief Basketball Officer “will serve as a special advisor to the Head Coach, bringing a wealth of professional basketball experience and championship-level insight.”
Oct 3, 2025; Durham, NC, USA; Jayson Tatum, NBA Boston Celtics Player helps coach alongside Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer during the Countdown to Craziness at the Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
And as the CBO, Tatum “will leverage his career success to provide perspective and guidance on basketball development, leadership, and life as a successful athlete, leaning on the lessons he first learned here at Duke.”
Boston gets stronger ties among potential future prospects at one of the blue blood schools of the NCAA ranks, Tatum gets to scratch an itch for what life is like on the other side of the clipboard, and Duke gets a heck of a recruiting boost.
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Definitely an unusual arrangement — but an intriguing one, at that.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Tatum to serve as Duke chief basketball officer through Celtics rehab
