The Athletic: Jason Tatum "shoulder a mission" in surprise training in Chattanooga

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"We all know what happened to him last year (injured)," Rodriguez said. "He's working hard (returning to the field). A lot of people don't just bring people on the road, you know what I mean? Whether it's personal or commercial, (they can tell) he's working hard to get himself back, and he's going to do everything he can to get himself back.

I want these guys to see... he's still training hard, trying to catch up. So I think as long as there is that professional mindset, 'Hey, I'm going to spend two or three hours a day to exercise and try to catch up.' That's what we're promoting to the players. For example, we want you to be professional players. We want you to be professional players. But we also want you to treat your body like professional players... and that's exactly what he's doing. So I think seeing this performance, our players will feel cool."

For Witts, this visit is also a private treat. The Arlington, Virginia native has loved the Celtics since he was a child because his father had a deep connection with the New England region. Witts is also a loyal Duke fan and has been closely following Tatum’s career for years. As a hardcore fan, Witts said he was a little excited to learn that Tatum would train at Chattanooga. After witnessing Tatum's serious attitude in the training hall, Witts believes he is lucky to take this opportunity to take a glimpse of the greatness of the five-time NBA player.

"This is one of the best things I've ever experienced," Witts said.

Witers hopes that the Chattanooga team will continue to move forward after winning the NIT championship last season. He believes Tatum's visit, although short, should inspire his team.

"If he could still fight this way with an injury, think about what we could do if he is fully recovered," Witts said. "If we treat injuries well, if we learn from our lessons and continue to work hard in the future, hope this will help our entire team."