Duke is getting help from former Blue Devils player and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
In its release, the school said Tatum's tasks will include in-person visits with the team to discuss development, professionalism and team culture, as well as mentoring athletes in areas such as career management, building a personal brand or managing time demands as a college athlete.
“This program has always been about pushing the game forward,” Scheyer said in Tuesday’s statement. “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 a one-and-done star for the Blue Devils during the 2016-17 season before moving on to become the No. 3 overall draft pick. Tatum blossomed into one of the league’s top players and helped Boston win the 2024 championship.
“This program means so much to me, and I had an unbelievable time here,” Tatum said in a statement. “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.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.