Not winning an NBA title has acted like a shackle for Jayson Tatum in his career. The Celtics star is revered as one of the brightest youngsters in the league. Despite having some incredible seasons, his name never received an MVP shoutout. Once again, Tatum has reached the NBA Finals and Kevin Garnett believes that he might end up winning his first ring to end all arguments.
Advertisement
On the recent episode of KG Certified, the Celtics legend talked about his team reaching the NBA Finals and what the future might have in store for Tatum. Garnett said that having a title win on the resume separates the player from the rest of the crowd.
KG knows the value of it because he was the last player to bring the NBA trophy to Boston. Now, his hopes are set on the 26-year-old to repeat the 2008 glory. He said,
“It’s a thousand n****s that I think I’m better than, but at the end of the day, they’re going to ask, ‘Man, what’d he win?’ If you ain’t win nothing, they’re gonna put you in a certain conversation and that’s just how it go.”
The NBA veteran added that a title win puts the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo above the rest of the league. And now, it’s time for JT to get his.
View this post on Instagram
KG said that if Tatum manages to take his team to the ultimate glory, he will be placed above the likes of Anthony Edwards, Jalen Green, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In addition to that, his challenge for other titles in the league will also be taken seriously.
Even though the NBA veteran believes that winning the trophy would do wonders for Tatum’s reputation in the league, fans of the sport have cooked up a different theory.
Jayson Tatum’s team reaching the Finals is being dubbed as a fluke
Even before the Celtics clinched the Conference title, their postseason run was being tagged as a matter of luck. Despite facing teams like the Heat, Cavaliers, and Pacers, the Celtics didn’t get the respect of the fans in the last few weeks. The first-round matchup against the Heat was watered down due to Jimmy Butler’s injury.
Then, Jarrett Allen missed the entire series for the Cavs due to broken ribs. To make matters worse, Donovan Mitchell ended up missing the last two games due to a knee injury.
Celtics won both the series 4-1. Then came the highly anticipated Conference Finals with the Pacers. Contrary to what the fans expected, the Celtics swept them, while an already injured Tyrese Haliburton missed the last two games.
Now, the Boston franchise is waiting with bated breath to find out who they will have to battle in the Finals between the Mavericks and the Timberwolves. The Finals seem to be the toughest challenge for the Celtics in the post-season.
Regardless, calling it a matter of luck is disrespectful to the Celtics. After all, they were the only team to have a 60+ game-winning record in the regular season. And despite facing some injured players, they have had a phenomenal run in the postseason. If the outside noise has managed to penetrate through their camp, they’ll be desperate to prove their worth against a worthy opponent in the Finals.
