Tatum talks lofty new objectives: ‘All the pieces sounds loopy till you do it'

Tatum talks lofty new goals: ‘Everything sounds crazy until you do it’ initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston

BOSTON — If Jayson Tatum is concerned by any summer time disrespect, it isn’t obvious on this second.

Tatum is strutting round a makeshift photograph shoot contained in the WGBH constructing throughout the road from the Celtics’ coaching facility in Brighton. He’s received the Larry O’Brien trophy slung in his proper arm and a gold medal hanging from his neck. The mug he makes for the digital camera appears to ask if his detractors are, actually, those who’re mad.

See, Tatum isn’t apprehensive about any Steves (Kerr, principally). He’s not apprehensive about any Richards (Jefferson, to be particular). No, the only thing that moves him right now is Larrys (each O’Brien and Chook).

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On this present day, everybody appears to need to know the way Tatum plans to answer Kerr’s limited use of him during the Olympics. Jefferson will quickly recommend that you may plug any High 10 famous person into Tatum’s function (picking Donovan Mitchell in his example) and the Celtics would nonetheless thrive, which no less than partially discredits Tatum’s two-way affect on the staff’s title run.

In a summer time that ought to have been a coronation — with the four-time All-NBA wing successful a title and landing on the cover of NBA 2K25 — all of the dialog round Tatum getting into the brand new season is on whether or not he may discover motivation from his detractors.

Tatum refuses to present these folks any air. Nicely, besides possibly his personal coach, as Tatum playfully feigns exasperation at how Joe Mazzulla is without doubt one of the few in these elements who really loves the very few things that have not tipped Tatum’s way lately.

“Clearly, if you understand Joe, you get the place he is coming from,” stated Tatum. “Everyone else is like, ‘Man, maintain your head up.’ And Joe was like, ‘No, I am completely satisfied. It’s good for you. You had been on the prime of the mountain. You bought a brand new contract, 2K [cover], championship, and also you go to the Olympics and it would not go your means. How are you going to reply?'”

And that’s the query everybody retains asking Tatum: How are you going to reply?

He smiles and will get diplomatic when, close to the tip of his media chores, he’s requested what precisely his response can be.

“It was good to get away from basketball for just a little bit however I had a lot enjoyable final yr with our group,” stated Tatum. “I’ve been on groups that the cohesiveness is not as nice. So when it’s particular — and we had a lot enjoyable all through the season final yr, we created so many reminiscences, and we achieved one thing that was going to bond us collectively eternally.

“I missed being across the coaches and the blokes on the staff. So I am actually simply completely satisfied to be again round.”

Reality is, Tatum’s to-do listing is already fairly prolonged, and lofty. He doesn’t have time to cope with the trivialities. After operating by way of the highlights of his summer time, he’s requested what different containers are left to verify.

“I’ve received to verify off MVP, Finals MVP, and rack up some extra championships,” stated Tatum.

And Tatum is aware of he isn’t reaching the loftiest of his objectives with out getting higher.

“There needs to be one other degree,” stated Tatum “I am solely 26. I am going into 12 months 8 … The motivation isn’t, ‘Oh, he did not play as a lot within the Olympics — how’s that going to really feel?’

“The factor that fuels me is like, Larry Chook is one of the best participant ever to put on a Celtic uniform. That is the man that, whether or not it is averaging 30 [points per game] that one season or having a 60-point recreation and tying his document, like typically it is being in the identical dialog with him so far as information and issues like that go.

“It’s best to attempt to be one of the best. He is one of the best Celtic of all-time. And that is what I am chasing. Even when I fall wanting that, just a little bit, you had a hell of a profession. “

It typically feels sacrilegious in these elements to recommend that any participant may end their profession in the identical air as Chook. Larry Joe delivered three Larry O’Bs. He received three MVPs and added two Finals MVPs. Even along with his spectacular photograph shoot equipment, there’s work for Tatum to do to easily produce an analogous stock of accomplishments.

However chasing the best Celtics participant is healthier motivation than a pair summer time DNPs that can sooner be forgotten. So Tatum isn’t worrying about little blips, he’s targeted on the larger image.

“All the pieces sounds loopy till you do it,” stated Tatum. “Anyone’s received to do it. And never saying it’s straightforward or something like that. However you need to simply attempt to be one of the best. And [Bird] was one of the best to ever put on this jersey.”

A variety of focus getting into the season will fall on Tatum’s 3-point shot after he struggled past the arc within the postseason after which didn’t make a single perimeter in these restricted Olympic minutes. However the highway map to MVP goes past discovering extra consistency past the arc.

Tatum’s playmaking has developed final yr, pinnacling within the Finals final yr the place he averaged double digits in potential assists. Given his rebounding skills, significantly whereas Kristaps Porzingis is sidelined, Tatum ought to extra generally be a triple-double risk this season.

Final season, Tatum embraced a downturn in counting stats to ensure that the Celtics to totally thrive. Even when a few of his objectives are targeted on particular person accomplishments, he’s all the time saved the precedence on staff success.

In spite of everything, successful is meant to silence the critics. However they maintain discovering one thing. Tatum can’t assist however hear the noise however he’s not going to let that be the one factor that fuels him.

No, his objectives are too large to sweat the small stuff.