After claiming the NBA championship last season, the Boston Celtics are poised to defend their title, with star players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown ready to deliver another standout year. Though Tatum wasn’t in the MVP conversation last season, he sent a strong message regarding his ambitions for the upcoming NBA MVP race.
In a recent press conference, Tatum was asked if he would be chasing personal accolades this season. His response was clear: “Everybody should have individual goals. We’re all mature enough and know what it’s like to have team success, nothing gets in the way of what we’re trying to accomplish. Whether guys wanna make All-Defensive team, All-Star, or be MVP, you should be able to go after that.
“It means you’re having a hell of a year, it means you’re dominating, and being the best version of yourself,” he added. “I’m not chasing MVP if it’s costing us games, but if I’m in that conversation, it means we’re one of the best teams, I’m playing the right way, and everybody on the team is having success and we’re going the right path,” he concluded.
Despite leading the Celtics to the 2023-24 NBA title, Tatum wasn’t a contender in last season’s MVP race. That honor went to Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, followed by Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Tatum stats with Celtics last season
Tatum played a pivotal role in the Celtics’ championship run last season, averaging 25 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 42.7% from the field. In the playoffs, he led the team in points, rebounds, and assists — a feat only achieved by legends like Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, and Nikola Jokic.
Despite Tatum’s impressive stats, it was his teammate Jaylen Brown who left a bigger mark last season. Brown’s standout performances earned him both the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP honors, overshadowing Tatum in the process.
If Tatum wants to enter the MVP conversation this upcoming season, the Celtics will need to maintain their dominance, and Tatum will have to elevate his game even further.