Jayson Tatum Sparks Debate: Is Larry Bird Truly the Greatest Celtic Ever—What About Bill Russell?
Tatum said he’s chasing Larry Bird as the greatest Celtic ever. Why isn’t Bill Russell the measuring stick?
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum blows a kiss after hitting a 3-pointer against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
Jayson Tatum is a scoring machine from the Midwest who plays forward for the Boston Celtics, so it makes a lot of sense why he would idolize Larry Bird.
Everyone needs someone or something to motivate them. Now that he has a championship under his belt, the pursuit of Bird-level production and admiration seems to be driving Tatum this season.
“I think since I’ve gotten in the league, just trying to get better every single year,” Tatum said, when asked what’s fueling him this season. “I’m very accomplished at a young age, but the truth is, and I was [saying] earlier that I envision myself as one of those guys, the LeBrons, the Stephs, the KDs. I want the next generation to view me as that.”
“Wearing the Celtics uniform comes with a lot of pride and the best Celtic ever is Larry Bird,” Tatum said. “Even if I never reach that — maybe I do, maybe I don’t, if you aspire to chase that guy it comes with a level of focus and motivation every single day to be the best you can and wherever the chips fall, just knowing that you gave it your all, you can be OK with that.”
There is no doubt that Bird is not just one of the greatest Celtics of all time, but one of the greatest NBA players of all time. Three titles, three MVP awards, a dozen All-Star appearances, nine first-team All-NBA selections, and two NBA Finals MVPs indicate a level that has been reached by only a select few people in the history of the game.
Tatum, the only Celtic to average 30 points in a season, said he can envision himself reaching that level one day. Realizing that his career could be on a similar trajectory and seeing Bird’s impact made him want to chase Bird, Tatum said.
“You see the impact that he had on the game of basketball,” Tatum said. “And obviously with the Celtics, winning three championships, three MVPs in a row which is incredible. Subtly you just start to see that you both scored 60 points in a game.”
“You start getting mentioned in the ‘only other Celtic to do this,’ and once you win a championship, it’s like ‘alright you can be in those rooms with the Celtics legends,’ but it doesn’t just stop at one,” he added. “Obviously you’ve got to win multiple and that’s what we’re trying to do. I always wanted to be the best, and he’s in my opinion the best Celtic ever. He did it the right way and he’s a great guy to chase in a sense.”
Tatum is entitled to his opinion. This isn’t the first time he has said it, and it probably won’t be the last. Plenty of people probably feel the same way. His opinion carries a lot of weight because of his stature as a player. He’s the face of the franchise, and one of the young faces of the NBA.
But it would be nice to hear what his definition of NBA greatness is, and why Bird fits that mold better than Bill Russell.
If winning is the measuring stick, Russell is unmatched. He’s the only one to win 11 titles. He led the Celtics to eight consecutive championships from 1959-1966. The NBA Finals MVP trophy is named after him.
Like Bird, Russell was a 12-time All-Star. Russell won five league MVPs to Bird’s three, but had just three first-team All-NBA selections to Bird’s nine. The NBA didn’t start naming All-Defensive teams until Russell’s final season in 1968-69, but if they had begun earlier in his career it’s almost certain that he would have quite a few more than just that one first-team All-Defensive selection.
Plus, that goes without mentioning all that Russell had to endure off the court living as a Black man during the Jim Crow era.
The league was smaller during Russell’s heyday, and there was no free-agency, so team-building methods were quite different than they are today. But, dominance is dominance, and it’s hard to find a more dominant resume than Russell’s.
Russell and Bird were both great. Tatum is great too, and there’s nothing wrong with chasing Bird’s greatness. But, Tatum should be pushed harder to explain his position on Russell vs. Bird if he’s going to keep talking publicly about which Celtic is the greatest.
If you’re representing the NBA’s winningest-franchise that holds a record 18 NBA titles, you should have to explain why the guy who won most of them and has his jersey retired by every single NBA franchise isn’t the best to ever wear the Celtic jersey.
We haven’t heard that from Tatum yet. I hope to hear his take soon.
