Boston Celtics second-year forward Jayson Tatum is still a bit salty General Manager Danny Ainge didn’t take him with the top pick in the NBA Draft and more Celtics news and rumors to start the day.
At the annual Boston Celtics Shamrock Gala Event, which raises money for local children’s charities, Jayson Tatum shared some big news–he’s still got beef with Celtics GM Danny Ainge for trading down from the No.1 spot in last year’s draft to select Tatum No. 3 and gain a future first round draft pick in the process.
Tatum, of course, would have preferred to have gone No. 1 overall for bragging rights, according to NBC Sports Boston.
"Irving had been asked about playing at Duke when Tatum playfully interrupted to note, “[Irving] only played seven games in college.”Irving laughed then noted it was actually 11 games. Added Irving, “It takes others 30 games, or 60 games [to get drafted]. It takes some people 11. … Eleven games to get drafted. No. 1, baby.”As laughter died down, Tatum deadpanned, “It’s Danny’s fault I didn’t go No. 1,” which only drew more laughter from those on stage and in the crowd."
All jokes aside, Tatum is probably beyond happy that he fell into the situation that he did in the draft. Not only did Tatum get drafted into a winning culture set up for years of future success, but he also was thrust into a starring role due to Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward‘s season-ending injuries. Tatum now looks like a budding superstar, and Ainge can potentially pick in the lottery again next season with the Sacramento Kings pick he picked up.
No word yet on whether one of the local charities at the Gala was set up to raise money for Tatum, money that was left on the table due to Ainge’s dirty move to trade down for Tatum.
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