Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics defeated Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals to clinch their first championship in 16 years. The Celtics forward led his team in points and rebounds last season. However, he fell short of winning the 2024 NBA MVP and Finals MVP honors.
Jayson Tatum (Image Credit: Getty Images)
Jayson Tatum helped Boston raise their 18th banner. With their 2023-24 victory, the Celtics became the most successful NBA team with 18 championships.
Jayson Tatum’s 2023-24 NBA Season
Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
The 2023 NBA All-Star Game MVP finished 13 assists short of the Celtics’ assist leader, Derrick White. He was also ranked second in the total steals with 75, while Jaylen Brown finished at the top with 83.
In the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic dominated the statistics with the most points, rebounds, and assists, while Derrick White had the most win shares. Jayson Tatum averaged 25 points on 42.7% shooting from the field, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.
Why Didn’t Jayson Tatum Get The Finals MVP?
In the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, Jayson Tatum’s side clinched the title in Game 5. The Celtics forward averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in five games. On the other hand, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown, averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5 assists per game.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (Image Credit: Getty Images)
Many questioned the decision to give the Finals MVP to Brown over Tatum as the 26-year-old led the three categories. However, the Celtics shooting guard/small forward registered a better field goal percentage, earning him the award. While Brown averaged 44%, Tatum made 38.8% FG in the 2024 NBA Finals.
A Look At Jayson Tatum’s 2024 Offseason
Jayson Tatum joined Team USA for the Paris Olympics 2024, and his Midas touch helped “The Avengers” clinch the gold medal. The USA men’s basketball team won their fifth straight Olympic gold in 2024. Although Tatum didn’t get much playing time in the Olympics, which left the Celtics fans furious, it was the star forward’s second Olympic gold medal after winning his first at Tokyo 2020.
Jayson Tatum and A’ja Wilson On NBA 2K25 Cover (Image Credit: X/NBA)
The 2024 offseason was a big win for him as he agreed to a contract extension with the Celtics. According to his new contract, which he signed in July 2024, Tatum will get $313 million over five years, making it the largest contract in NBA history.
Recently, the NBA star and her girlfriend Ella Mai, an English singer, welcomed their first child, a baby girl, in August. To commemorate his spectacular 2023-24 season, popular gaming company 2K made the Boston Celtics forward NBA 2K25’s cover athlete. He is featured on the cover alongside WNBA star A’ja Wilson.
Will Jayson Tatum Win MVP In The 2024-25 Season?
The Celtics star ranked sixth in the 2023-24 NBA MVP list, with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic winning the award for the third time in his career. He also fell short of the Finals MVP honor following a close contest with his teammate Jaylen Brown.
Jayson Tatum (Image Credit: Getty Images)
However, Tatum is among the favorites to win MVP awards in the 2024-25 season. Joe Mazzulla’s Boston Celtics preferred stability in the summer trade and almost kept the championship-winning roster for the upcoming season.
Many fans and former players desire to see Tatum lifting the MVP award. Among those, former Boston Celtics All-Star Isaiah Thomas claimed on social media that Jayson Tatum will win MVP this upcoming season. This came after the USA’s gold-winning Olympic campaign, where Tatum registered 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1 steal per game in 17.7 minutes of average game time. Time will determine if the Celtics star can secure the MVP award next season.
