Jayson Tatum hasn’t been shy in stating his individual goals, sharing before the year that he’d like to win MVP and Finals MVP for the Celtics this season. The Celtics star has another goal in mind, too: becoming a face of the NBA.
In an interview with the Washington Post published earlier this week, Tatum shared that he’s “check all the boxes” to this point in his career while believing he’s been underappreciated.
“Honestly, no,” Tatum told the Post‘s Michael Lee when asked if he felt he’s been given proper respect for what he’s accomplished. “If you took the name and the face away from all my accomplishments and you’re just like ‘This is what this Player A accomplished at 26,’ people would talk about [me] a lot differently.”
Tatum’s comments to the Post, particularly his one on feeling underappreciated, seemed to be the hottest topic for debate in the NBA over the past week. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was among those who agreed with Tatum, calling him special as he listed off what he’s accomplished before turning 27 (three first-team All-NBA nods, a title, two NBA Finals appearances, five Eastern Conference finals appearances). Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd disagreed with the notion that Tatum could be one of the faces of the league, saying the NBA has only had three of its history (Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James) and that the Celtics star isn’t “cool” or good enough to reach that level.
While talking heads and pundits seemed to be a bit more split on Tatum’s points, ex-NBA players were a bit more receptive to his argument. Celtics icon Paul Pierce agreed with Tatum’s sentiment that he’s underappreciated, comparing him to an unflashy star during his time as a player.
“He’s 26 years old. Think about that. He just don’t get his due,” Piece said on “KG Uncertified.” “Last year, I said he’s the best American player. I still think that. Maybe because he’s not flamboyant, he’s private, and he don’t talk [shit]. He’s not demonstrative out there. I don’t know.
“He don’t bring attention to himself. That’s why people gravitate toward Ja [Morant], Anthony Edwards. He more like the wing Tim Duncan.”
Tatum certainly has a case to be named the best American player currently in the game. He’s one of just two American-born players to be named All-NBA over the last three years and is the only American-born under 30 to have three first-team All-NBA nods. His six All-Star nods are also the most for any player under the age of 30.
As Pierce said that Tatum is already “on pace to be one of the all-time greats,” he thinks there’s a reason why he’s a bit underappreciated.
“He plays for Boston. It’s just what it is,” Pierce said on why he thinks Tatum gets disrespected. “Even Larry Bird was underappreciated because at one point, he was the best player in the league even though it was always Magic [getting the attention.]
“Boston is the most hated franchise, most hated team in all of sports, in all of basketball for sure.”
Kevin Garnett agreed with Pierce’s thoughts as well. The all-time great said that while Tatum’s “not flashy,” he added that “every player that’s either his age or younger wishes he’s had the career he’s had.”
“The first thing you do when you get in the league, you’ve got this list of stuff you want to become: All-Star and all this other stuff you want to become,” Garnett said. “Then, as you get to No. 3, it starts to become MVP and [expletive] you’ve really got to go to another level. Guess what else is on there? Winning a championship. He’s 26 and he can cross that off. There’s a bunch of stuff he’s crossed off this list.”
Garnett also praised Tatum for being a “model,” noting that he’s also promoted financial literacy with SoFi and has a signature shoe with Jordan Brand.
“JT, stay how you are, bro,” Garnett said. “The real ones respect you and we see it and what you’re doing is classic. I hope all the young boys take a page out of your book and be a little more private.”
Beyond former Celtics stars, there were others who also believe that Tatum is underappreciated. In fact, Gilbert Arenas thinks that lack of relative appreciation Tatum gets is a sign he’s the face of the NBA.
“When you talk about him negatively compared to his actual résumé,” Arenas said on “Gil’s Arena” as former NBA player Nick Young agreed with him. “This is not the ’80s or ’90s where we made our superstar look good. For the last 20-something years, it’s been a negative thing on the face of the NBA. Whoever got bashed the most, didn’t even think about it.
“He is the face, because we pretend his résumé is not his résumé, so we want to tear him down.”
To Arenas’s point, LeBron James questioned earlier this week why anyone would want to be the face of the league as he feels the people who cover the league “[expletive] on it on a day-to-day basis.”
“There’s just weird energy when it comes to that,” James told reporters on Thursday.
As for current players, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton also went to bat for Tatum this week, calling whatever hate he gets “unwarranted.”
“He’s obviously an elite player in our league,” Hailburton, who was teammates with Tatum on the USA men’s basketball team at the 2024 Olympics, said of on the “Pat McAfee Show.” “He’s the best player on the best team in the NBA, off a championship. So I feel it’s not right for the hate that he gets. I think part of it could be that he went to Duke and he plays for the Celtics, two polarizing teams.
“Us as players, he has the respect from his peers. I think that’s what means more than anything else as an NBA player, the respect you get from your peers.”
With James’s career winding down, the face of the league discussion will certainly continue in the foreseeable future. As Tatum tries to amplify his case for the honor and lead the Celtics to another title, though, he seems to have the backing among former and current NBA players for that honor.
