In a viral appearance on “The Tonight Show,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum made his pick for next season’s NBA MVP. Hilariously, Tatum nominated himself, much to the amusement of Jimmy Kimmel.
Jimmy Fallon: “Who do you predict will be the NBA’s next MVP?”
Jayson Tatum: “Can I say myself?”
Tatum also picked which teams will make the Finals next season, stating that his Celtics will face off in the Finals for a rematch against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.
Jayson Tatum has never been short of confidence. Dating back to his rise at Duke, the basketball star has always had the utmost faith in his status as one of the best players in the world. Coming off this summer, however, Tatum has more right than most to speak with little humility.
Last season, with averages of 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game on 47.1% shooting, Tatum led the Celtics to the best record in the league and built a historic lead over the rest of the Eastern Conference. He followed it up with a dominant playoff run, leading the Celtics to their first NBA championship since 2008.
To top it all off, Tatum suited up for Team USA this summer en route to winning the gold medal. While his playing time was limited, Tatum made an impact on the floor and he will be among the favorites to get an invite to the next Olympic tournament in Los Angeles 2028.
As the cover athlete for NBA 2K and the recipient of a brand-new five-year, $315 million extension, Tatum has plenty of reasons to feel good about his future and he is justified to be confident in his ability to continue this stretch of greatness.
Heading into this next season, Tatum is poised to begin his prime at 26 years old and what we see from him over these next few years could be the best games we’ve ever seen him play. As a 5x All-Star, 4x All-NBA athlete, and reigning NBA champion, Tatum is undoubtedly one of the NBA elites and he will be in the MVP conversation for years to come, just like he was last season when he finished 6th in voting.
As for the Celtics’ title aspirations, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be the favorites going into next season. With mostly the same roster committed to return, the Celtics still have one the strongest rotations in the league with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White.
With those guys, there’s no reason the Celtics shouldn’t be able to maintain their pace as the best offense in the game. If they can also pick up on their defense, it could result in an even better campaign than the one they just had.
For Tatum to win MVP, his team will have to achieve a similar level of success but even that may not be enough. With stars such as Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, many candidates will be worthy of MVP honors and Tatum will have to give the voters a reason to pick him over any of the others.
Still, Tatum seems confident that he can set himself apart and have his best season yet as a pro. For his sake, he better prove himself right or the haters will respond in full force.
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