Jayson Tatum Gets Honest On Winning His First NBA Title: “Last 7 Years Have Been A Rollercoaster”

Jayson Tatum shares his thoughts after winning his first NBA championship.

5 Min Read

Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

After some near misses and heartbreaks over the years, Jayson Tatum has finally become an NBA champion in his seventh season in the league. In his postgame press conference, a jubilant Tatum was asked what was going through his mind as Game 5 was winding down.

“It is a real feeling,” Tatum said. “Still hasn’t really kicked in yet. Just trying I guess (to) enjoy the moment. I kept saying, ‘Wow.’ These last seven years have been a roller coaster, up and down. I had to listen to all the s*** that people said about me, and tonight, it was worth it. Oh my God.”

It truly has been one hell of a ride. Tatum was selected with the third pick of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics and in his very first season, they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Cleveland Cavaliers just about beat the Celtics in seven games in that series and it seemed like only a matter of time before they would break through and win it all. Things didn’t quite pan out that way, though.

In Tatum’s first six seasons, the Celtics were eliminated in the Conference Finals on three occasions and lost in the NBA Finals once, in 2022 to the Golden State Warriors. They were very good, but just not good enough to win it all.

That finally changed in the 2023-24 campaign. The Celtics traded for Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason to bolster their roster and boy, did those moves work out. With Tatum leading the way, they finished with a league-best record of 64-18.

Despite that excellent record, many doubted the Celtics heading into the postseason. Those doubts persisted even with the team getting to the Finals, as they had beaten some injury-riddled squads along the way. On that big stage, though, their class shone through.

The Celtics dispatched the Mavericks in five games to clinch their record 18th NBA championship. Tatum, who had struggled mightily with his shot in the first four games of the series, led his team to victory in Game 5 with 31 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 steals. 

It was just over two years ago on June 16, 2022, that the Warriors were celebrating winning the championship in TD Garden. Tatum ensured that the visiting team would have nothing to celebrate this time around.


Jayson Tatum’s Son Told Him He Is The Best In The World

Tatum celebrated with his son Deuce on the court after the 106-88 win in Game 5 and that was quite special to watch. He had a lot to say to his father and Tatum was asked during his press conference if he could share what his son told him.

“He told me that I was the best in the world,” Tatum said. “I said, ‘You damn right I am.'”

Well, Tatum will always be the best in Deuce’s eyes. Is the 26-year-old the best player in the world, though? Not in my book, but he is one of the best.

Tatum finished the Finals with averages of 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. The five-time All-Star only shot 38.8% from the field and 26.3% from beyond the arc, but still managed to have a big impact on the games with his defense, playmaking, and rebounding.

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

TAGGED:
Share This Article
Follow:
Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *