Tatum Talks Lofty New Goals: ‘Everything Sounds Crazy Until You Do It’

Tatum Talks Lofty New Goals: ‘Everything Sounds Crazy Until You Do It’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON – If Jayson Tatum is suffering from any disrespect this summer, it’s not clear at this point.

Tatum walks around during an impromptu photo shoot at the WGBH building across the street from the Celtics’ training facility in Brighton. He has the Larry O’Brien Trophy in his right arm and a gold medal around his neck. The mug he makes for the camera seems to ask whether his opponents are indeed the ones who are angry.

Look, Tatum isn’t worried about Steves (mostly Kerr). He’s not worried about Richards (Jefferson, to be specific). No, the only thing moving him right now is Larrys (both O’Brien and Bird).

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On this day, everyone seems to want to know how Tatum plans to respond to Kerr’s limited use of him during the Olympics. Jefferson will soon suggest that you can cast any Top 10 superstar in the role of Tatum (I’ll choose Donovan Mitchell as an example) and the Celtics would still thrive, which at least partially discredits Tatum’s two-way impact on the team’s title run.

In a summer that should have been a coronation — with the four-time All-NBA wing winning a title and landing on the cover of NBA 2K25 — all the talk surrounding Tatum heading into the new season is about whether he could find motivation in his opponents. .

Tatum refuses to give those people any breathing room. Well, except maybe his own coach, because Tatum playfully feigns his annoyance that Joe Mazzulla is one of the few in these parts who actually loves the few things that haven’t helped Tatum lately.

“If you know Joe, you obviously understand where he’s coming from,” Tatum said. “Everyone’s like, ‘Man, keep your head up.’ And Joe said, ‘No, I’m happy. It’s good for you. You were at the top of the mountain. You have a new contract, 2K (cover), championship, and you go to the Olympics and things aren’t going your way. How are you going to respond? ”

And that’s the question everyone keeps asking Tatum: How are you going to respond?

He smiles and becomes diplomatic when asked, near the end of his media stints, what exactly his answer will be.

“It was good to get away from basketball, but I had so much fun with our group last year,” Tatum said. “I’ve been on teams where the cohesion isn’t that great. So if it’s special – and we had so much fun during the season last year, we created so many memories and we achieved something that would connect us forever .

“I missed being around the coaches and the guys on the team. So I’m really happy to be back.”

The truth is, Tatum’s to-do list is already quite long and lofty. He doesn’t have time to worry about the details. After reviewing the highlights of his summer, he is asked what other boxes he still needs to check.

“I have to check off MVP and Finals MVP and get some more championships,” Tatum said.

And Tatum knows he won’t reach his highest goal without improving.

“There should be another level,” Tatum said. “I’m only 26. I’m going into year 8… The motivation isn’t, ‘Oh, he didn’t play that much in the Olympics – how will that feel? ?’

“What energizes me is that Larry Bird is the best player to ever wear a Celtic kit. That’s the man who, whether he averages 30 points per game in that one season or has a 60-point game and equals his record.” , like sometimes you’re in the same conversation with him in terms of data and things like that.

“You have to strive to be the best. He’s the best Celtic of all time. And that’s what I’m striving for. Even if I fall a little short there, you’ve had a great career.”

It sometimes feels like sacrilege around these parts to suggest that any player could end their career in the same atmosphere as Bird. Larry Joe delivered three Larry O’B’s. He won three MVPs and added two Finals MVPs. Even with his impressive photoshoot accessories, Tatum has work to do simply to build a comparable inventory of achievements.

But chasing the greatest Celtics player is a better motivation than a few summer DNPs that are more likely to be forgotten. So Tatum isn’t worried about small mistakes, he’s focused on the bigger picture.

“Everything sounds crazy until you do it,” Tatum said. “Someone has to do it. And not say it’s easy or anything like that. But you just have to strive to be the best. And (Bird) was the best to ever wear this jersey.”

As the season begins, much of the focus will be on Tatum’s three-point shot after he struggled beyond the arc in the postseason and then failed to reach any perimeter in those limited Olympic minutes. But the roadmap to MVP goes beyond finding more consistency beyond the arc.

Tatum’s game has evolved over the past year, peaking in last year’s finals, where he averaged double figures in potential assists. Given his rebounding talents, especially with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined, Tatum should be a triple-double threat more often this season.

Last season, Tatum embraced a downturn in counting stats so the Celtics could fully thrive. Even though some of his goals are focused on individual performance, he has always prioritized team success.

After all, winning must silence the critics. But they keep finding something. Tatum can’t help the sound, but he won’t let that be the only thing that fuels him.

No, his goals are too big to worry about the little things.