Jayson Tatum can’t stop catching strays at the moment. Despite fulfilling his lifelong dream of becoming an NBA champion, the Boston Celtics star continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. Amidst his misery, Nick Young recently came to his rescue with an unprecedented reference circling Drake.
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The former Golden State Warriors player pointed out the displeasure surrounding Tatum’s antics on X (formerly Twitter). ‘Swaggy P’ brought forward the analogy between the NBA All-Star and the rapper, stating,
“Jayson Tatum is the drake of the nba the way they hate on him .. now they haten on his celebration this is getting crazy”.
Jayson Tatum is the drake of the nba the way they hate on him .. now they haten on his celebration this is getting crazy
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) June 20, 2024
This comparison seemed harsh, yet portrayed both sides of the picture aptly. For instance, the latest allegations surrounding Drake shattered his long-standing public image as an easy-going and fun-loving artist. Shortly after, his beef with Kendrick Lamar brought out the lesser-known and controversial aspects of his life, prompting the music industry to corner him in recent weeks.
Even though Tatum’s case is nowhere near as problematic, the outcome has been the same.
His on-court struggles during the Celtics’ championship run initially raised question marks over his status as the roster’s talisman. Soon after winning the title, his intention to imitate his childhood idol Kobe Bryant’s iconic celebrations also didn’t sit right with the fans. Furthermore, the 26-year-old later extended his distress by copying the reactions of Stephen Curry, Kevin Garnett, and Kanye West.
This overeagerness to be an NBA great by imitating the iconic figures rather than creating his identity raised eyebrows. As a result, he has been subjected to major backlash since securing his first-ever championship ring.
That being said, Tatum still deserves immense credit for his team’s success. Despite repetitive moments of underperformance, JT rose to the challenge with his overall gameplay every single time. His postseason stat line of 25 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game signifies precisely this.
That’s why, as Young pointed out, a few of Tatum’s criticisms have been unjustified. The latter must also focus on separating himself from the rest if he wants to be in serious consideration as the new face of the league.
