As confetti fell from the rafters following Boston’s Game 5 win over Dallas to capture the 2024 NBA title, Jayson Tatum celebrated with his mother asking repeatedly“What are they going to say now?”
The question became a recurring phrase during the Celtics’ celebration as Tatum showed his self-awareness by acknowledging the criticism he’s received since his breakout rookie season about six years ago.
Before the NBA Finals, Tatum joked: answered“Do you believe that?” a reporter asked before responding to a question by saying he’s been one of the most scrutinized players in the NBA. With an NBA title under his belt, Tatum now sings a different tune to address skeptics, one that displays that same level of self-awareness with a new level of confidence.
Jayson Tatum sends clear message to skeptics after Celtics’ championship
As Tatum prepares to try to help lead Team USA to its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal, he entered training camp with a new haircut and a new mentality.
During his time with the media, Tatum acknowledged the debates surrounding his ability to be a key player on a championship team and his status as a top-five player in the league. With the weight of these discussions “100 percent” lifted from his shoulders, Tatum acknowledged the nature of his skeptics from a much more confident perspective.
“There’s still a lot of things I think they can debate,” Tatum said. saying“But now I’ve done something that they can’t debate: I’ve won a championship. With that under my belt, obviously there are still conversations to be had or whatever people want to say, but they can always refer to me as an NBA champion.”
While he narrowly missed out on winning the Finals MVP award over Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown, there’s no denying Tatum’s importance to Boston’s 18th NBA title, as he led the team in scoring, rebounding and assists during the postseason.
Two weeks after the Celtics’ title-clinching victory, Tatum signed a five-year, $314 million contract extension that is currently the largest deal in NBA history, keeping him in Boston for a long time.
And while Tatum’s elite status may still be the subject of countless debates, he has accomplished one undeniable feat and has his sights set on another. After playing a key role in Team USA’s run to gold in Tokyo, the five-time All-Star now has the chance to join the elite list of players who won an NBA championship and Olympic gold in the same year.
If Tatum can add that to an already impressive 2024, he’ll surely have even clearer messages to send to his skeptics.
