Jayson Tatum had his first taste of the NBA Finals in 2022, beating all of their formidable opponents in the Eastern Conference to reach the ultimate stage. However, in the Finals, the Celtics were overwhelmed by the experienced Golden State Warriors dynasty, who won their seventh NBA championship with a 4-2 win. Though the Celtics have failed to win a championship since 2008, every season they seem to be getting closer to the title with their new, young core.
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Tatum recently appeared on Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner’s Point Forward podcast and discussed his career and hopes of winning a championship in the future. When Even Turner asked Tatum about his next step to win it all in the league, the 4x All-Star did not hesitate to give the Warriors their flowers.
Tatum greatly acknowledged the role of Warriors veteran Stephen Curry, who has won four championships and one Finals MVP title with the franchise. However, the Celtics star also admitted that his team lacked the performance needed against a better Warriors team to defeat them in the Finals.
It is worth noting that the Celtics indeed covered a tough path to reach the NBA Finals. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, they came back from being 1-2 down, to winning the series 4-3.
The Celtics had started the Finals on a good note, winning their opening game on the road and returning to Boston with the series tied 1-1. Taking their first home game in the series, the Celts were soon leading 2-1 in the series, only for the Warriors to bounce back in the next three games to clinch the series 4-2.
However, from his first Finals experience, Tatum learned the importance of working hard to reach that stage. Furthermore, the job becomes even more harder and tougher from there on, especially against teams with Championship pedigree like the Warriors.
Tipping his hat to Stephen Curry and the team, Tatum said during the podcast, “What they [the Warriors] have been able to do is special. And like, you just gotta tip your hat like, they beat us. And for them to do that four times is like, there is a reason, not luck, there is a reason why.”
“And it makes you go back to the drawing board like ‘Yo, I’m not doing enough.’ Like, I did enough to get there but it’s clearly some more you gotta do to get over that hump,” he added.
Indeed, the Warriors are worth all the praise for winning four championships within a span of seven years. However, the Celtics also seem like a formidable side every season to contend for the championship. Currently, Boston stands 1st in the Eastern Conference table, with a strong 15-5 record .
The Boston Celtics were the favorites for winning the 2022 NBA championship
As Jayson Tatum himself pointed out, the Celtics traversed through a rough road to the NBA Finals. The Celts progressed past their Conference playoffs, sweeping the Brooklyn Nets and then defeating both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat in seven games.
The Celtics’ defense was praised to be the best going in for the NBA Finals. ESPN had even predicted Boston to be the favorites for winning the NBA championship in 2022. Though the Celts faced an upset in the Finals, the Jayson Tatum led franchise has now been consistent through the past few seasons with their 3 Conference Finals and one Finals appearance within just six seasons.
