Jayson Tatum is an NBA champion, don’t dare forget that. That is what the Boston Celtics star had in mind in his recent statement for the season in the team’s Media Day. It does seem that he is keen to prove his worth more after facing a lot of criticism in his games in the playoffs and the subsequent Paris Olympics – where he got benched for two big games.

The Boston Celtics are entering the NBA season as the favorites to win the NBA title and repeat as champions. It does seem that the team has high expectations to consider moving forward, but for Tatum, all is well as he heads to the campaign with the goal of showing that he has more in his bag to help the team win big once more.

Tatum is entering the season with a bigger mission – to help establish the team’s dominance in the game and make sure that they get the best chance to build a dynasty of championships. That has been something that Boston fans are looking out for. And the best way to fulfill that is to improve in his own games as well.

Return of the Real

Tatum’s numbers surely did dip in the previous season despite playing the same number of games as in 2022-23. The Celtics star averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game on 47.1% shooting – to go along with 35.7 minutes per contest in 74 games. However, fans and critics were quick to point out his inconsistency and lack of big contributions to the team’s games – and somehow they’re still winning.

But for Tatum, all of these talk did not bother him at all, and he is clearly focused enough to ensure that he is ready to bring it all-in this season. Now there are big expectations that Tatum will be coming in as a star who is ready to prove that he can win and perform at an elite level when needed.

“Did I need any extra motivation coming into the season? No,” said Tatum of the criticism he’s received over the course of the offseason. “It was a unique circumstance — something I haven’t experienced before in my playing career. But I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason. I can still get better... you haven't seen the best version of Jayson Tatum."

Shrugging Off the Critics

Many claim that this is a bruised ego of Tatum talking. Considering the fact that he is Boston’s team captain and the prominent player in the roster, being passed up for the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and the Finals MVP for his younger teammate Jaylen Brown is definitely not a good sight.

Add that to the fiery talks of being a useless player in the Olympics where he didn’t get a chance to perform at a high level after being benched in two big games. That is definitely something that would ignite a bigger player inside him who is keen to prove that he deserves better.

At this point, Tatum knows that he is expected to make winning strides for his team. However, he is not addressing his critics via interviews or in social media. Instead, he is keen to show them and prove them all wrong when the season begins – letting the game do all the talking for him and finally silencing them all as he gears up for a big campaign now more than ever.