Jayson Tatum admits he’s chasing Larry Bird to become the greatest Celtic ever: “I always wanted to be the best”
JT crowns “Larry Legend” as Celtics GOAT, hoping to mirror his success.
One of the most storied franchises in all of American sports, the Boston Celtics hold the tag for the most number of NBA championships (18). Having had greats like Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, and Kevin McHale represent them, the Cs have so many legends in the history of their franchise that some other teams will never catch up to that number of Hall-of-Fame players. Bird is often looked at as the greatest Celtic ever, even though it’s tough to single out one player among so many legends.
Ending their 16-year drought last season, the Celtics won their 18th title. Looking to repeat, the team boasts one of the greatest current duos in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The homegrown talents were drafted a year apart, with both of them going at number three pick.
Aware of the pressures of playing in TD Garden, Tatum recently addressed his aspiration to catch Larry Legend for the title of Celtic great. The Duke product revealed how winning a championship served as fuel to him.
“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. You’ve obviously got to win multiple, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” JT continued, talking about his admiration for Bird.
“And I always wanted to be the best. And he’s, in my opinion, the best Celtic ever, and he did it the right way, and he’s a great guy to chase in a sense,” Tatum concluded.
“Larry Legend”- A Celtics great
Bird was the sixth pick in the 1979 draft, and he played his entire 13-season career for the Cs. The 6’9″ forward was a rage in Boston, given his contributions to the franchise. “Larry Legend’s” entry in Boston turned Cs into strong contenders in the East from the very go.
However, it wasn’t until 1981 that the Celtics drafted Kevin McHale and acquired Robert Parish to form a Big 3. Defeating the Rockets in the Finals the same year, Bird won his first-ever title, with Cedric Maxwell clinching the Finals MVP.
Forming one of the greatest rivalries against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Magic Johnson-Bird rivalry gained cult status. The following years had the Celtics forward make his way among the all-time greats, 3-peating as league MVP and winning two more titles.
Unfortunately, a persistent back problem would rob Bird of some of his prime years. Despite all the health setbacks, the Hall of Famer’s resume was nothing short of impeccable.
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As the franchise’s current superstar, Tatum is often subjected to harsh criticism and social media trolling. Some of the possible reasons behind this are the hype and sky-high expectations from the six-time All-Star. At the same time, one cannot overlook some of his playoff inconsistencies. After all, when Boston won the championship last season, Brown was the Finals MVP, not Tatum.
In his eighth year, the common belief was that JT would win league MVP by now, but this hasn’t been the case. Nevertheless, JT hasn’t been anything short of impressive this season, leading the Celtics to the 40-16 record in the East with averages of 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.
As far as chasing Bird goes, Tatum has a long way to go before Boston fans even begin to view him through the same lens as “Larry Legend.” However, if the Celtics can keep winning titles, the conversation might be changing soon.
