Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has all the makings of an NBA legend but he has yet to be given the same respect as other generational players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant. Speaking in an interview with NBC Sports Boston, former NBA swingman Paul Pierce gave his honest take on Tatum and where he fits into the NBA’s superstar hierarchy.
“When I watch Tatum on and off the court, he’s humble, he works hard,” Pierce said. “I have a chance to watch him work out in LA every year, he loves the game. He has something to play for because he’s probably the most disrespected superstar in our league. The motivation is always there for him. Look what they did to him at the Olympics. It seems like it’s always something with Jayson Tatum that doesn’t sit well with people and year in and year out, he’s first-team All-NBA, he won a championship and then there’s something else.”
Tatum, 27, has done it all in the NBA. Over seven years as a pro, he’s a 6x All-Star, 4x All-NBA player, and a 1x NBA champion. Fresh off his first title, you’d think that the fans and media would give Tatum more respect. Instead, it’s only been more disrespect about his status in the league. According to Pierce, the reason has to do with the team he plays for.
“I think playing for the Boston Celtics we can go back to Bill Russell winning 11 championships. At no point did they say he was the greatest ever. It was always Wilt and Kareem. It’s something about people hating the city of Boston but all we do is win.”
As a former Celtics champion and longtime NBA veteran, Paul Pierce knows what it takes to succeed and he trusts that the Celtics will step up when the stakes are highest. As a little added motivation, Tatum will no doubt be keeping all the receipts of those who have doubted or questioned his abilities.
Despite his status as a top 10 player in the game, Tatum is always under-appreciated and the 2024 Olympics was the latest example. Tatum got an invite to the team but he was the last man off the bench with several DNPs in the tournament.
Jayson has yet to win the MVP despite being the best player of a Celtics team that’s dominated for years. The 2022-23 campaign was the closest he ever got to winning the award with a fourth-place finish behind Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Ever since Tatum joined forces with his co-star Jaylen Brown, the NBA world has been trying to break them up with constant rumors and doubts about their potential together.
Through it all, Tatum has been steady on the court and continues to play his role to perfection. This season, in another stellar season for the Cs, Tatum is having one of his best stretches yet with averages of 26.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game on 45.2% shooting.
At second in the East, the Celtics are on track to make a good title defense but the hard work is only just beginning. With tough challengers in the East, like the Cavaliers and Knicks, the margin for error is slim and the Celtics must play elite-level basketball to get through it all.
