In an appearance on the ‘7PM In Brooklyn’ podcast, Celtics star Jayson Tatum opened up on what it means to be the face of the NBA. According to Tatum, the key to a young player claiming that title is to win multiple championships in a short time.
“There’s a lot of conversations about who the next [face of the league is], who is the best player, who is gonna replace LeBron James, Kevin Durant and those guys? I want to be known as the next LeBron and [Durant]. How do you do that? How do you separate yourself? You win a championship. You win multiple.”
— . (@UniteCeltics) July 15, 2024
When you think about the current face of the game, stars like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant are usually the first ones to emerge. Those players have reached legendary status not only due to their play but also due to their accomplishments as pros, which are unmatched in NBA history.
Both LeBron and Curry are 4x champions and have changed the game more than anyone who came before them. In the case of Durant, he’s a 16-year veteran with two championships and an MVP to his name.
To reach the levels of those players requires a truly exceptional run and there isn’t any young player right now who is close to reaching that level. Even Jayson Tatum, who is fresh off his first NBA championship, still has more to prove before anyone draws him in the same breath as LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Tatum, 26, may not be in the same club as LeBron, Curry, and Durant, but he is already one of the best players in basketball right now. he averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game for the Celtics last season and played a crucial role in their victory in the Finals.
With just seven years of experience, Tatum still has time to build on his title count before he hits 30. The 5x All-Star and 4x All-NBA player can do it all on the court and his confidence is unwavering after proving himself time after time.
To take that next level, Tatum will have to sustain this dominance for an extended time. Defending his team’s championship in 2025 will certainly go a long way in helping him get there. Until that point, however, Tatum will have to just keep proving the critics wrong with his play on the court.
With Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis, the Cs have arguably the best roster in the league right now and it will be a challenge for any team in the East to keep up with them offensively.
If they can close the deal and Tatum leads the way, he will be on track to take up the mantle left behind by the greats. If not, he will still be a superstar for the Celtics and his career will only count as a success given all that he’s accomplished in his short NBA stint so far.
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