Jayson Tatum has been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism this past summer. Despite winning his first NBA championship, fans have trolled Tatum for losing out on the Finals MVP trophy to Jaylen Brown. However, the All-NBA forward isn’t bothered about the Finals MVP issue.
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On the contrary, he brought Stephen Curry and other legendary superstars to justify his indifference to not winning the FMVP this year.
During the Celtics’ media day, Tatum sat with NBA TV’s Jared Greenberg and discussed his feelings surrounding the FMVP questions. He said,
“It just wasn’t my time… Steph Curry got 4 rings & he only has 1. Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird didn’t win Finals MVP every time… For me, I was happy for [Jaylen Brown]…”
“I know that I’m gonna win Finals MVP one day, which means I get to win another Championship,” JT added.
“It just wasn’t my time… Steph Curry got 4 rings & he only has 1. Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird didn’t win Finals MVP every time… For me, I was happy for [Jaylen Brown]… I know that I’m gonna win Finals MVP one day”
—Jayson Tatum
(via @JaredSGreenberg)pic.twitter.com/0QiJBu0qSE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 25, 2024
Tatum is right about Bird, Curry, and Thomas. All three NBA superstars saw their teammates lift the FMVP trophy. But that has not tarnished their legacies as all-time NBA greats.
However, they also secured the trophy at least once in their careers. Now Tatum will also have to do so to prove that he can be the best player on a Championship team.
The 26-year-old showcased a sense of maturity that many players don’t gain until they retire. Typically once a star player wins a title, they are praised for their achievement. However, Tatum has been slandered despite his maiden title win.
But through all the negativity, Tatum remains positive. Instead of focusing on the FMVP, Tatum highlighted the contributions of every player on the team, including him, on winning the title. This showed that the 26-year-old has true leadership qualities.
One can argue that Tatum performed better than Brown in the NBA Finals. He averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists in the five Finals games. Brown, on the other hand, averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.
Regardless, Tatum is confident about winning the Finals MVP one day, mostly because that will mean that the Celtics will win another championship. This shows that the star forward is more focused on team goals than individual accolades.
Tatum is entering this season with a chip on his shoulder. Fans will be keen to see what plans he has in his mind for the 2024-25 campaign.
