Jayson Tatum makes MASSIVE statement about future with Celtics ahead of $318 million contract extension talks

Jayson Tatum opens up about his future with the Celtics and his ultimate goal.

Jayson Tatum makes MASSIVE statement about future with Celtics ahead of $318 million contract extension talks

Jayson Tatum (Credits: ESPN)

Jayson Tatum is one of the NBA’s certified superstars. He was very competitive in last year’s MVP race, finishing fourth in voting, and made the All-NBA team. He had a dominant season, averaging 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 74 games played. Tatum was a part of the superstar core of the Boston Celtics, alongside All-NBA teammate Jaylen Brown. They managed to make the Eastern Conference finals but were defeated by the Miami Heat in Game 7.

He recently opened up about his future with the franchise after the disappointing losses—an NBA finals loss in 2022 and now a conference finals loss. Tatum helped his team get over the hump in the second round by dropping a monstrous 50 points in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers, even helping mount a comeback against the Heat, down 3-0. He helped his team fight back, winning three straight games and forcing a Game 7, but eventually losing to the Jimmy Butler-led squad.

While speaking to Jeff Goodman of The Messenger, Tatum stated ” “I would love to be on the Mount Rushmore of Celtics”. He added, “Bird, Russell, Paul Pierce and those guys. They paved the way. The one thing all those guys have is chips. I have to get to the top of the mountain to even be considered as one of those guys. I want to be an all-time great, I want to be known as a winner, and I believe I will be.”

Tatum is well aware that him and Brown have to lead the franchise to a banner, and he looks poised to sign a record-breaking deal when his turn arrives.

Tatum said, ” We’re far from perfect. We won’t get the credit we deserve until we win a championship. That is the ultimate goal, but you can’t bypass all the things we’ve accomplished in the six years we’ve been teammates at a very young age. We’ve been to the playoffs every single year, we’ve gotten better. Yes, it took some time to figure out how we can be as special as we can be, and how we can co-exist and do it together. I know everybody says, ‘They take turns.’ I feel like we got to a place where we were feeding off each other, playing really well.”

Also read: Warriors owner drops HUGE update about Klay Thompson’s uncertain future with franchise

How was the Boston Celtics 2023 season?

Jayson Tatum for the Boston Celtics (Image via Jayson Tatum/@jaytatum0 on Twitter)
Jayson Tatum for the Boston Celtics (Image via Jayson Tatum/@jaytatum0 on Twitter)

The Boston Celtics have always been a championship contender ever since the inception of the now-superstar duo of Brown and Tatum. The two haven’t missed the playoffs in a single season together. The core looks formidable, with the two acting as an intimidating duo along with valuable role players. They managed to make the NBA finals in 2022 but lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games.

Going into the 2023 season, the team was hungry for revenge, with Tatum putting up unreal stats with 30.1 points per game and finishing fourth in MVP voting. His All-NBA teammate Jaylen Brown put up an impressive 26.6 points in the season as well. The Celtics ended the season as the second seed, winning 58 games, just one win short of the top spot. They beat the Atlanta Hawks in the first round after being pushed to six games, even though everyone expected a sweep.

They faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round and went down 3-2 against the formidable team, but mounted a comeback, winning Game 6 and the series in Game 7 with a stellar 50-point performance from Tatum. They went up against the surprising 8th-seeded underdog Miami Heat in the conference finals. The Heat managed to stun the Celtics, going up 3-0. The Celtics core decided to take matters into their own hands and won three straight games, forcing a Game 7. The Heat proved to be too much for the Boston squad in Game 7, eventually coming out on top.

The Celtics were already facing trouble prior to the season starting, with their head coach being fired and a new coach coming in. Still, they managed to maintain a tight ship and made it to the Eastern Conference finals. Heading into next season, the Celtics look ready to take on any challenge by tying up Brown to a record-breaking max contract and signing Kristaps Porzingis, who will provide them with more offensive power and shooting along with size.

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