Jayson Tatum‘s scintillating 31-point performance in Game 5 of the NBA Finals helped the Boston Celtics thrash the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 and ended the franchise’s 16-year wait for a championship. The forward was a cut above the rest on the court and played as if he was adamant about proving he was the best player in the league, a distinction his son, Deuce, adorably bestowed upon him as soon as he saw him.
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During the post-game press conference, Tatum was asked about the conversation he had with his toddler son after he returned to him victorious. Tatum didn’t elucidate too much on their dialogue, instead choosing to highlight just one thing from their interaction.
“Deuce told me that I was the best in the world. And I said, ‘You damn right I am.'” [per Michael Scotto]
Jayson Tatum on his son, Deuce, after winning the NBA championship: “He told me that I was the best in the world. I said, ‘You damn right I am.’” pic.twitter.com/737OFsaJqL
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 18, 2024
As one might have expected, Tatum was in a terrific mood at the time. And of course, he had had a little bit of alcohol by that point as well. So, it is a bit hard to blame him for declaring what he did, despite the debatable nature of the statement.
Further, the star went on to call out his detractors who had quite a bit to say about him before he lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy. Calling it a “rollercoaster” he said,
“These last seven years have been a rollercoaster. Up and down. I had to listen to all the s**t that people said about me. and tonight, it was worth it.”
Tatum: “These last 7 years have been a rollercoaster. Up and down. I had to listen to all the shit that people said about me. and tonight, it was worth it.”pic.twitter.com/7xMzjGFpmN
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 18, 2024
Tatum received his fair share of criticism for the Celtics’ failure to beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals and losing the eight-seeded Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
The five-time All-Star was also criticized massively for his underwhelming shooting performance in Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals. However, he responded to it all with impressive 31-point displays in Games 3 and 5.
Still, these nights weren’t enough for Tatum to grab Finals MVP honors, something that was won by his teammate Jaylen Brown instead. Much as it was Stephen Curry, this will likely be brought up by the NBA community for years to come. However, the time to worry about that comes later.
Right now, JT simply has to focus on relaxing and enjoying the parade with his son. And given just how much this run seemed to make to him, it’s unlikely there is anything apart from just this on his mind.
