Can鈥檛 think of another time this happened in sports.
A combination of a coronation and deprivation.
And knowing the subject at hand, it will only fuel him that much more.
St. 不良研究所导航网址 native Jayson Tatum won his first NBA championship this summer. He was only 26. And in the NBA Finals, he led the Boston Celtics in scoring (22.2 points per game), rebounding (7.8 per game) and assists (7.2 per game). Oh, and in the closeout game to win the title, Tatum tallied 31 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists.
But he didn鈥檛 win the NBA Finals MVP.
That went to teammate Jaylen Brown, who had big moments in big wins but lesser stats.
Then, in the 2024 Olympics this summer, Tatum didn鈥檛 get much playing time. Coach Steve Kerr opted for other players and, in two of the six games, didn鈥檛 even play Tatum at all. The United States won gold, but Tatum didn鈥檛 contribute much to the goal.
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Well, the 2024-25 NBA season starts Tuesday. And here鈥檚 thinking that Tatum has a particular intensity of a fuel inside him. Perhaps even a unique brand of fuel. Because here鈥檚 a guy who should be on top of the world, feeling free and invincible, but instead must deal with the humbling that came from the NBA Finals MVP voting and the Olympic playing time allotment.
This will all help Tatum in the long run. Unexpected fire for someone who is already an elite player and is eternally motivated.
I鈥檝e written about Tatum since his senior year of high school. I鈥檝e interviewed him and, over the years, many close to him. I鈥檝e learned a lot about what makes this man a man. Here鈥檚 a guy who is already a high-level worker. And a guy whose idol was Kobe Bryant, famous for thriving with the unbreakable 鈥淢amba mentality.鈥
So Tatum would鈥檝e perpetually pushed himself, regardless. But now, a champion has fire to prove he can be an even better champion? That鈥檚 good stuff.
Calling my shot. Tatum will win the NBA Finals MVP in 2025.
Entering his eighth season, Tatum has made the All-NBA first team in each of the past three seasons. He鈥檚 made the All-Star team in five of his seven seasons. And he鈥檚 advanced to the conference finals in five of his seven seasons.
鈥淓very time you go to game-plan for Boston, you start with Jayson Tatum,鈥 said St. 不良研究所导航网址 native Blake Ahearn, who played 19 NBA games and, through last season, was an assistant coach for the NBA鈥檚 Memphis Grizzlies. 鈥淗is ability to be so versatile 鈥 whether his ability to pass, shoot the ball, get to the basket 鈥 I mean, he just scores at all three levels. He can play the pick-and-roll, he can isolate. It鈥檚 a nightmare for opposing coaches to figure out.
鈥淎nd he鈥檚 surrounded by a lot of other players that could really shoot the basketball. So you鈥檙e really stuck, like 鈥 do you double-team him? Or do you try to just play him single coverage and hope he doesn鈥檛 have a night?鈥
Ahearn played for the San Antonio Spurs and later coached their G League team, the Austin Toros, who won the 2018 G League title with a young Derrick White (who ultimately became a starter on Tatum鈥檚 Celtics).
鈥淚鈥檝e been very, very fortunate in my career to be around guys who have achieved so much,鈥 Ahearn said. 鈥淎nd to me, you see a guy like Jayson who does it the right way 鈥 the person he is, how he conducts himself. He鈥檚 not the guy that鈥檚 going to go out and just shoot 40 times. He鈥檚 genuinely doing things to try to help his team win and win championships. You can鈥檛 always say that about everybody.
鈥淎nd I think his legacy now 鈥 he鈥檚 one of the best players in the world, no doubt about it. But you know, he鈥檚 in that storied Celtics program where they鈥檙e judged by championships in Boston. So for him to get that first one, I was extremely happy for him. And hopefully, he鈥檚 got that continued success throughout his career.鈥
Tatum, of course, is one of the greatest hoopers to ever come out of St. 不良研究所导航网址. And the city has a rich tradition for hoops. No, we鈥檙e not Chicago or New York or Atlanta, but there have been some St. 不良研究所导航网址 studs over the years who made the NBA, be it Bradley Beal, David Lee, Larry Hughes, Steve Stipanovich, Bob Ferry and Ed Macauley. Anthony Bonner was a star at Vashon High School and St. 不良研究所导航网址 University (he averaged 19.8 points and 13.8 rebounds as a SLU senior) and was a first-round draft pick. He played six NBA seasons, including some crucial minutes for the 1994-95 Knicks, who advanced to the NBA Finals.
鈥淚 mean, I love him,鈥 Bonner said when asked about Tatum. 鈥淚t鈥檚 funny because we鈥檝e had a few (standouts) who have been Celtics. Jo Jo White (a Hall of Fame guard who won two NBA titles). And people don鈥檛 really talk about David Thirdkill from Soldan High School, who won an NBA championship in 1986. And now you鈥檝e got Tatum.
鈥淭he kid is just a phenomenal basketball player. I mean, everybody recognizes the skill set. That鈥檚 obvious, even to the amateur basketball fan. But what I appreciate is his demeanor. He is never too high. He is never too low. Always locked in. He鈥檚 resilient, whether it鈥檚 a 50 or 40 point outburst or it鈥檚 a tough night and you know he鈥檚 going to bounce back. ... He has a certain edge.鈥
A one-of-a-kind edge this season.