Fresh off that wonder run in the NBA Finals and after signing a massive contract extension with the Boston Celtics earlier this weekend, Jayson Tatum now puts his focus on playing well for Team USA en route to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the Redeem Team 2.0 seek to come up with a redemption arc. But the Celtics star did not hold back in discussing the value of the 2024 NBA Finals to his career.

The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games, closing out the series at home in Game 5 where the crowd celebrated in delight as the C’s managed to deliver a massive victory that fans have waited for a long time. Still, the Celtics have ended a massive drought in the game, and it came at a promising time when the squad was at its peak, and they deserve a lot of praise for that success.

For Tatum, he is pleased that the championship he won means that the debates about his status as an elite player in the game are coming to an end, and now he embraces the future of contending at the top of the league once more.

“What Are They Gonna Say Now?”

Tatum led the Celtics to come up with a 16-3 record in the postseason, which is the second-best record in a playoff run by any team in the history of the NBA. The Celtics also surpassed their rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the most titles in NBA history at 18 titles. Tatum played a fantastic run with the Celtics, and it cannot be denied that the success does actually make it hard for critics to put some bad talk to his name.

"Just being at the topic of discussion of so many debates or whatever it is ... 'Can he lead a team? Is he a top-five player?'”, Tatum said. "There's still a lot of things I guess they can debate. But now I've done something that they can't debate: I've won a championship. Having that under my belt, like obviously it's still conversations to be had or whatever people want to say, but they always got to refer to me to as an NBA champion."

Tatum had to clip his shooting and had lower averages than usual in the previous season, noting how he was willing to sacrifice some of his massive performances in exchange for a harmonious team flow in the long run – and it definitely paid off at the end of the 2023-24 season.

More Runs to Come From Boston

Tatum also made it clear that the Boston Celtics are not taking time to rest and chill. Head coach Joe Mazzulla was already planning ahead, and it does seem that Tatum appreciates this kind of mindset and will definitely look forward to winning big with the team. With the star forward signing an extension, he is pleased to take on the next campaign with a thankful vibe moving forward.

"I'm very just thankful and grateful," Tatum said of signing the extension. "It's not about the money. I've been fortunate enough to make enough, more than I ever thought I would ever have and to take care of my family. So for me, just to feel wanted, that they wanted me to be, wanted me for the long haul, for my whole career.

Fans can expect to see more of Tatum’s game in the years to come as the Boston Celtics prepare for the next run. For now, the Celtics star’s focus is to help Team USA take on a bigger run this Olympics.