Jayson Tatum has had quite the year, first leading his Boston Celtics to their first NBA championship in 16 years in June, then signing a contract to become the highest paid player in NBA history with a new extension a few weeks later, and now hoping to help Team USA win a gold medal at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. While the Celtics had one of the most dominant regular and postseason performances we’ve seen in some years in 2023-24, Tatum wishes some things had gone differently on their way to the championship.
One of those objects appears to be the place where Boston hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy. While training for the Olympics with his Team USA teammates in Las Vegas, Tatum stopped by JJ Redick’s old “Old Man and the Three” podcast, which was guest hosted by WNBA legend Sue Bird, to explain why he wishes the team could have won the championship on the road in Dallas against the Mavericks.
“I would have preferred to win on the road honestly,” Tatum told The Old Man and the Three on YouTube. “Because I know what it was like for someone to win a championship on my home floor, just as I wanted to win in Dallas. Because I saw the Warriors celebrate on our home court, and it was awful.”
Tatum and his teammates were treated to an up-close and personal look of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors celebrating their championship on the TD Garden floor two years ago, a series in which the Celtics visibly grew.
This year, the Celtics had a chance to win the title on the road against the Mavericks, but they were blasted out in Game 4, their lone loss of the series and their first since game two of the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Can the Celtics repeat?
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) signs his autograph before a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
If they continue healthy, the answer is most likely yes. Kristaps Porzingis’ health will already be a concern coming into 2024-25, as he is expected to miss the start of the season due to an injury received during the Finals. There’s also the reality that the Celtics had historically good injury luck compared to their opponents during their 2024 playoff run, which is unlikely to happen for the second year in a row, especially with Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White all over 30.
However, Tatum and Brown are now in the prime of their careers, with plenty of room to enhance their respective games, which should be a frightening proposition for the rest of the NBA. Brad Stevens obviously chose to bring back almost the whole team from the previous season, and why wouldn’t he? This 2023-24 club was one of the best of all time, and they have a chance to at least enter the dynasty conversation with another win this season.
