Jayson Tatum is the latest addition to the growing list of NBA stars helping out their alma mater. Duke announced Tuesday that the Celtics star is joining the program as the “chief basketball officer”
“Tatum will volunteer his time as a special advisor to [Jon] Scheyer and the Duke program, bringing championship-level insight and professional basketball experience to player development, leadership, and life as an elite athlete,” a release from the program reads. “Tatum, who starred for the Blue Devils in 2016–17 before launching a decorated NBA career, will leverage the lessons he first learned in Durham to help prepare current Blue Devils for success both on and off the court.”
A six-time All Star, five-time All-NBA selection and 2024 NBA champion, Tatum averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in his lone year in Durham. Tatum is expected to miss most if not all of the upcoming NBA season after tearing his Achilles in May during Game 4 of a second-round matchup against the Knicks.
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Tatum was at the Blue Devils’ “Countdown to Craziness” event last week.
“I am ecstatic about the opportunity to be Duke’s first chief basketball officer,” Tatum said in a statement. “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.”
Scheyer, who recently signed a two-year extension, called Tatum “incredibly loyal to Duke since the day he committed” and “the ultimate professional.”
In the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era, teams have been building front offices in addition to their coaching staffs and bringing in some of their top products to forward the cause. In May, Stephen Curry took an assistant GM role with Davidson, a few weeks after Trae Young was named to the same position at Oklahoma. Weber State named Damian Lillard general manager in August.
