Even fresh off a championship victory with the Celtics, Jayson Tatum isn't afforded the same respect and recognition as some of his All-NBA peers. During a recent episode of 'Gil's Arena' former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas explained what is holding Tatum back from reaching superstar status and why he can never become the face of the league.
"If the NBA wanted to make him the face, they would have just given him awards. If you look at some of the people that was voting, when they were talking on TV they were bashing Jayson Tatum," said Arenas. "This couldn't have been the face of the NBA because as the face of the NBA they already make excuses for you. When Nikola Jokic was winning MVP and they wanted Embiid to win it, how did that sound? Jookic is winning and overnight it's like 'Embiid is the best player ever.' When the NBA wants you to win an award, there's no mistaking... They did not write [Jayson Tatum] as the face of the NBA."
It's no secret that the NBA media gravitate towards some players over others. For whatever reason, despite his talent, Tatum hasn't gotten as much attention as some other players at his level and it's contributed to him being much less featured compared to other young stars like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Last season, with averages of 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game on 47.1% shooting, Tatum was leading the way on both ends of the floor for a Celtics team that finished with the best record in the league. He only finished 6th in MVP voting and has never been higher than 4th through 7 years in the league.
In the playoffs, Tatum was again overlooked as the Conference Finals MVP and the Finals MVP and had to watch as his teammate Jaylen Brown won both awards during the championship run.
For his part, Tatum has tried to downplay any notion of resentment toward Brown and remains publicly committed to building a dynasty with the Celtics.
As a 5x All-Star, 4x All-NBA player, and defending NBA champion, Tatum is already one of the best players in the world and he's got the credentials to be a leading NBA figure for years to come. But until Tatum has the kind of standout performance that is impossible not to recognize, he will keep getting overlooked in favor of players who may be bigger, stronger, or all-around just more exciting to watch.
It will be up to Tatum to force himself into the spotlight and earn the respect he feels he deserves. With one championship in the books so far, he's off to a pretty solid start. But as the NBA fights to contain his legacy, Tatum will need to do more if he wants to keep up with the competition and outshine his peers.
Just like Kobe Bryant and countless others before him, Tatum may even have to embrace a villain role to take up the mantle as the face of the NBA. This season, in his prime, Jayson has a chance to take the reigns as a pillar of the league and he intends to embrace the opportunity with everything he has.
