Jayson Tatum helped the Boston Celtics snap their 16-year trophy drought by winning the 2024 NBA championship. The St. Louis native had been working toward becoming a champion since being drafted with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
During a recent interview with Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Tatum admitted that winning the NBA Finals lifted a significant weight off his shoulders. He noted how the Celtics had come close to the ultimate success on multiple occasions but could not take that final step.
“It has been a crazy summer,” Tatum said. “Was fortunate enough to win my second gold medal with the national team. … And to finally win NBA championship, that’s something that I’ve been working (toward) for a very, very long time. I’ve gotten extremely close a few times, and finally got over the hump. So that was special. That felt like the weight of the world was off my shoulders after that one.”
Now that he’s reached his goal and will receive his championship ring on Oct. 22 ahead of the Celtics’ season opener against the New York Knicks, Tatum must find a way to keep the fire burning. The hardest part about achieving something you’ve been chasing is learning to readjust your mentality as you attempt to keep pushing forward.
Joe Mazzulla’s team has a target on its back. Every other roster in the NBA will be looking to make a statement when they play the Celtics. Beating the reigning champions is a quick way to build some momentum. As such, Boston will get every team’s best effort. It must be up for the challenge of meeting that effort level head-on.
“We had a hell of a team last year. It was so fun to be a part of that — the journey that we had, how we kind of dominated the regular season and went 16-3 in the playoffs,” Tatum said. “It looked like it was easy, but it wasn’t. It was hard. Played some really good teams. And it’s exciting to be able to run it back (in 2024-25). Same team coming back — we’re even more motivated to win another one.”
Tatum has often spoken about being driven by legacy. He wants to be spoken of in the same breath as the Celtics greats before him. Winning a championship has put him and Jaylen Brown on the outskirts of that discussion.
However, the Celtics are one of the most successful franchises in league history. If the All-NBA forward truly wants his name hanging from the rafters when he eventually retires, he must find a way to stay motivated and continue winning at the highest level.
That starts with the upcoming season. Boston still has the best roster in the league. A second straight championship will undoubtedly change how everyone talks about Tatum, his legacy and his impact on the city of Boston.
