On paper, Celtics star Jayson Tatum is one of the most accomplished athletes in the NBA. According to the 2024 NBA Champion, however, he doesn't feel appreciated like he feels he deserves.
“Honestly, no," said Tatum via the Washington Post. "If you took the name and the face away from all my accomplishments and you’re just like, ‘This is what this Player A accomplished at 26,’ people would talk about me a lot differently.”
Tatum, 26, is one of the leading stars of the NBA and arguably the most successful 26 year old in the game. Growing up in St. Louis, he was a huge Kobe Bryant fan and Tatum had visions of one day representing the league just like Kobe did as a Laker. Of course, Tatum was drafted by the Celtics in 2017 but his dream of NBA superstardom is alive today.
In seven and a half years in the NBA, Tatum has proven himself as one of the best players of the modern generation. With career averages of 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on 46.0% shooting, he's the anchor of a Celtics team fresh off their first championship run since 2008.
As a 6x All-Star, 4x All-NBA player, and 1x NBA champion at 26 years old, Tatum has nothing left to prove and his resume is unmatched among his peers. Yet, for some reason, Tatum isn't as popular as other young stars such as Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, and Ja Morant.
Jayson has never finished higher than fourth in MVP voting and was sixth last year despite the Celtics finishing with a 64-18 record. Tatum managed to crack the All-Star starting lineup for the fifth straight year this month but he did not finish first in fan voting or player voting (second place for both).
As good as Tatum is, it's been a common theme in his career to get overlooked and underrated and the 2023-24 campaign awas arguably the most egregious example. After finishing sixth in MVP, Jayson lost the Finals MVP in favor of his temamate and co-star Jaylen Brown.
Over the summer, Tatum got an invitation to join Team USA on the Olympic roster but he barely got any playing time despite fresh off a championship run. He got limited minutes on the court, leaving his teammates confused about what went wrong.
Time and time again, Jayson Tatum gets overlooked and his name is frequently missing from conversations about being the best player in the league. But after winning the championship in June, and helping Team USA to the gold medal in Paris, Tatum is more than ready to take up the mantle as a face of the NBA.
What he's accomplished in seven years is a huge deal and likely only just the beginning. This season, with averages of 26.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 45.3% shooting, he's having one of his best stretches yet as he leads the Celtics to a 41-16 record in the East.
The best way for Tatum to get the respect and recognition he feels he deserves is to keep winning and hold nothing back. If he can repeat as a champion this year, and win his first Finals MVP, it will go a long way toward getting more appreciated by the fans and cementing a legacy as one of the all-time great players of the game.
