Jayson Tatum reached his first NBA Finals this season, finally breaking the barrier of the Eastern Conference Finals and leading his Boston Celtics to the biggest series of all, where the Golden State Warriors waited for them.
As we all know, the Dubs easily handled the Celtics, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to win the Finals in six games. Tatum was nowhere to be found after Game 3, but the Warriors knew how to shut him down and secure the win.
It was a painful defeat for Tatum, especially knowing how bad he performed. Ever since that moment, he hadn’t discussed any of this, but during a recent appearance in the 2022 NBA Summer League, he opened up about the Finals, revealing that he’s still trying to get over that.
Jayson Tatum’s first comments since the NBA Finals loss. #Celtics. pic.twitter.com/w3sws3IIw1
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 9, 2022
“It takes a long time,” Tatum said. “I still think about it every day. Probably until the season starts. Probably until we get back to the championship, I guess.”
The Celtics hope to run it back next season after learning what it takes to reach the Finals. JT knows it’ll be hard for them, but now that they reached that level, it might be a little easier for the Celtics.
“You know how hard it is to get over there. You know how much harder it is to get over that hump, so I’ve got to be better coming into next year, obviously, as we try to get back.”
The Celtics have a bright future. Their two best players are just entering their prime, and this team will have many chances to return to the Finals in the next couple of years. If JT keeps improving his level and the C’s keep their core together, this team could become a dynasty, but we have to wait to see how things develop for Tatum and co.
