Jayson Tatum Responds After Getting Dissed By Ex-NBA Star
Jayson Tatum heard the outside noise and responded after getting shade thrown at him by a former NBA star.
The Boston Celtics forward became a talking point during last week’s episode of the “Gil’s Arena” podcast. Host Gilbert Arenas had a fiery discussion about Tatum with former NBA veterans Brandon Jennings and Nick Young.
Jennings raised the question of whether or not Tatum is “the softest” superstar in Celtics history. The former Milwaukee Bucks star argued that Tatum very well could be.
“Is he the softest Boston Celtics superstar ever?” Jennings asked. “…I’ll be more afraid of Jaylen Brown than Jayson Tatum, like if I’m on the court. … [Averaging] 28 don’t make you tough.”
While Arenas tried to defend Tatum, Young also agreed with Jennings that Tatum is “too quiet” and “not aggressive enough” to be considered tough.
Tatum initially let his play do the talking. The next game after Jennings’ tirade against him went viral, the Celtics star dropped a game-high 29 points in a 118-106 win over the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena.
But Tatum also doubled down with a post on Instagram mocking the “soft” narrative pushed by Jennings.
“SoFtesT SuPeRstar in CeLtiC HiStoRy,” Tatum captioned his post.
Tatum finally won an NBA championship last season. He has also earned three consecutive All-NBA 1st-Team nods and five straight All-Star selections.
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum argues with the referee.
© Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
However, Tatum’s accolades have yet to silence his doubters completely. Losing out on the NBA Finals MVP trophy has left Tatum’s critics with some ammunition to use against him.
But on the court, Tatum has looked as good as ever in his eighth NBA season. Through 34 games, the 26-year-old has averaged 28.1 points on 46.3% shooting from the field. He’s also posting career highs in rebounds (9.2) and assists (5.5).
