Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum offers brutally honest two-word response about NBA recognition

No one can deny that Jayson Tatum is one of the biggest stars in the NBA today. Still relatively young, he has firmly established himself as the centerpiece of the Boston Celtics and played a crucial role in leading the team to the title last season. However, the forward was recently asked if he feels his accomplishments have been adequately recognized, and he gave an honest answer on the matter.

“Honestly, no,” Tatum said during an interview with The Washington Post. “If you took the name and the face away from all my accomplishments and you’re just like, ‘This is what this Player A accomplished at 26,’ people would talk about me a lot differently.”

Indeed, the Boston forward has posted impressive numbers consistently over the years, leading his team to top-tier performances: the Celtics have reached the Conference Finals in four of the last five seasons. Throughout that span, Tatum has averaged more than 23 points per game each year.

When asked why he isn’t frequently mentioned as a possible new face of the NBA, Jayson offered his perspective. “I don’t really want to insert myself in things that can be debated,” he said. “Did he win a championship? Yes. Did he win gold medals? Yes. Was he always a part of winning seasons? Was he first team all-NBA? Those are things that you know are hard evidence. Yes or no. Face of the NBA? They can always debate. But it’s like, I check off all the boxes.”

Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts to a basket against the Miami Heat during the second half on February 10, 2025.

Tatum reflects on the 2024 NBA Finals MVP

Part of the belief that Jayson Tatum lacks recognition stems from last season’s NBA Finals, where he played a key role in the Boston Celtics’ title run but did not receive the Finals MVP award, which instead went to his teammate Jaylen Brown. “I did my part,” he said. “It’s the world we live in, and everything is narrative-based.”

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Reflecting on why he felt he deserved the Finals MVP, the forward elaborated: “The NBA has been around for almost 80 years, and there’s only six people to lead a team in points, rebounds and assists to a championship. I’m the only one that didn’t win Finals MVP. I’m the odd man out, and I’m okay with that.” He continued: “They voted for somebody else, which is cool. I can control what I can control. Whoever people want to vote for is out of my control.”

Tatum’s NBA legacy

Tatum also discussed the legacy he hopes to leave behind once his professional career is over. “I want everything that is for me,” he stated. “Whatever is out there that is supposed to be mine, I do, I want it. It’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that. But, you know, I dreamed of being in this position.”

He made it clear that he is setting his sights high. “Where do I want to see myself when I get done? I think about who’s the best player to wear a Celtics uniform, and it’s Larry Bird,” the 26-year-old forward explained. “Even if I never reach that pinnacle, that’s the guy that, while you wear this uniform, you should be chasing. And so that’s in the back of my mind.”