• Dwyane Wade showed love to Celtics star Jayson Tatum, one of his favorite players in the NBA
• Wade gave Tatum advice after the Celtics’ 2023 playoff run which ended with a loss once again
• The Celtics are heading into the 2023-24 season with a re-shaped roster, employing Kristaps Porzingis instead of Marcus Smart
The Boston Celtics have been a staple in the Eastern Conference playoffs for over half a decade now but have only one Finals appearance to show for it. The 2023 playoffs ended in a heartbreaking loss to the No. 8 seed Miami Heat, impacting how people perceive franchise star Jayson Tatum.
Dwyane Wade has spoken out in support of Tatum, calling him his favorite player in the league in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
“He’s had a lot of times where he’s been right there… He’s one of my favorite players in the NBA. He’s one of my favorite people in the NBA to communicate with, to talk with, to do anything with, and I want to see him get everything he wants from the game. But you’ve got to have patience with it as well. Your career doesn’t look like someone else’s; it just doesn’t.”
Tatum has been patient up until now, as he has gradually worked on becoming the best player he can be to lead the Celtics to a chip. He had his best regular season last year, averaging 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists and leading Boston to the No. 2 seed.
Can Boston Finally Get Over The Hump?
The quest for the Celtics’ 18th title has been alive for the last 15 years and has borne no fruit. Outside their Finals appearance in 2022, where Tatum struggled the entire series, the Celtics haven’t come close to winning a title. They’ll be favorites to make the Finals in the East again, but their roster moves could end up hurting them.
Boston traded the franchise’s culture-setter, Marcus Smart, for Kristaps Porzingis, a player who had minimal value just one season ago because of his concerning injury history and past struggles in integrating himself into a winning culture. He seems to be more motivated to compete on a contender after a season in the abyss of the Washington Wizards, but Smart’s absence will be felt deeply.
The roster is talented and under contract for the next few seasons. Tatum has two years left on his deal, while Porzingis was given a two-year extension after being traded. Jaylen Brown just signed the richest deal in NBA history, so Boston will hope this trio is what ultimately brings home their 18th banner.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
