There’s no denying that Jayson Tatum is one of the best players in the league. On top of that, he keeps a low profile, avoids drama and confrontation, and keeps the focus on his game. But somehow, his name keeps popping up. Whether it’s about being the face of the league or something else, there’s always debate.
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Now, another one’s here. This time, it’s about the Hall of Fame. On The Big Podcast with Shaq, Adam Lefkoe dropped a bold take. He said Tatum is already a Hall of Famer.
The claim would’ve sparked debates in any room. But since it was said in front of Shaquille O’Neal, he took it a step further. Shaq was confused, asking, “What? He’s a Hall of Famer?” At the age of 27, Tatum is an NBA Champion, has six All-Star appearances, four All-NBA First Team selections, and two Olympic gold medals.
As per Lefkoe, the resume is bound to go into the Hall of Fame as “he’s already pretty much there.” But Shaq wasn’t on the same page. He threatened to renounce his Hall of Fame status if that’s all it takes to be a Hall of Famer. He said, “You ever seen that movie Ocean’s Thirteen? I’mma break in the Hall of Fame and take all my sh*t out. Y’all…just throwing people in there now.”
Shaq referred to an Isiah Thomas comment to explain his frustration. He said, “There’s two Hall of Fames. There’s a ‘Bad Motherf***er Hall of Fame,’ and there’s a ‘Basketball Hall of Fame.” Shaq doesn’t think JT is there yet. For the Lakers legend, being a Hall of Famer means something, and it should be awarded for a legendary career.
As of now, it seems like the honor is being handed out to anyone who had a hot stretch. At the same time, Tatum isn’t an underachiever for his age. So, completely discarding his standing isn’t fair either. That’s why he feels he is underappreciated in the league.
Jayson Tatum believes he is underappreciated
As per Basketball Reference, there’s nearly a 60% chance of Tatum making it to the Hall of Fame with the career he has had so far. No one can deny that in the upcoming years, he is only going to get better. Despite that, disrespecting him during these discussions is a regular thing.
“If you took the name and the face away from all my accomplishments and you’re just like, ‘This is what Player A accomplished at 26,’ people would talk about [me] a lot differently,” Taum told The Washington Post.
He also discussed his standing in the ‘Face of the NBA’ debates. JT claimed that based on everything he has achieved, it should be a fairly simple decision to name him the heir to the throne. However, despite checking off all boxes, he is rarely, if ever, picked over some of his competitors.
