Tatum: COVID-19 has affected my on-court conditioning

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said Tuesday that his past bout with COVID-19 has impacted his conditioning during games.

"I think it messes with your breathing a little bit," Tatum said, according to CLNS Media. "I have experienced some games where, I don't want to say struggling to breathe, but you know, you get fatigued a lot quicker than normal."

Tatum missed five games in January after testing positive for the coronavirus. He was asked the question Tuesday after struggling in a Sunday loss to the lowly Washington Wizards when he scored just six points in 23 minutes.

"It's easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster," he added. "I've noticed that since I've had COVID. It's just something I'm working on. It's gotten better since the first game I played. But I still deal with it from time to time."

Tatum said he has spoken with the Celtics about the issue.

"It's something we talked about. It's just certain stretches where ... breathing is a little out of whack," the 22-year-old said. "But it's gotten better ... I've talked to other guys that have had it and they've said they experienced the same thing, and it kind of just gets better over time."