Star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum might have the first endorsement deal in NBA history with a painkiller. The St. Louis native infamously tore his Achilles tendon vs. the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, and was able to have groundbreaking surgery that may position him to return at record pace soon after he went down against the Knicks.
But the pain medicine Tatum got after the operation was an opioid that reportedly bothered him, spurring his doctors to prescribe a painkiller called Journavx that claims to be non-addictive and highly effective, per an interview in People magazine this week. Tatum recently talked about that medicine and his subsequent use of that painkiller (and how he became a spokesperson for it) on an episode of ESPN’s “NBA Today,” relating that “it’s been a long, long journey” (h/t Blazer Banter‘s Erik Garcia Gundersen).
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“I just always reflect on surgery, and then you get your stitches out, and then you get your boot. And then at four weeks, you’re 50% weight-bearing,” added the former Blue Devil.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 12: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics is assisted on court after being injured against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 12, 2025 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
“Part of the reason I’m here is to announce my partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals,” continued the Celtics star. “It was a period where, at four weeks, I was introducing new things and starting to feel some discomfort and some pain.”
“That’s when I had a conversation with my doctor, and we went through my medical history,” he added, sounding every bit the protagonist in a drug commercial soon to be followed by a quieter voice speaking about potential adverse effects at a much faster rate.
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Ar least, as others have noted in jest, we won’t have to worry about this popping up as a “no-show” job in some future league investigation.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Is Jayson Tatum the first painkiller spokesperson in NBA history?