BOSTON — Over the course of the past few months, Jayson Tatum has endured a whirlwind of emotions. Internally, he’s been thrilled. He captured his first NBA Championship, donned the covers of NBA 2K25 and Sports Illustrated, and won his second gold medal. Externally, the media has been devolving around him.
Tatum won a championship, but he wasn’t the NBA Finals MVP. In fact, he wasn’t even Eastern Conference finals MVP. Both awards went to Jaylen Brown. The media had a field day with that. And even though he won a gold medal, Tatum was benched in two Olympic games, leading to a ton of unnecessary discourse.
And apparently, Joe Mazzulla couldn’t get enough of Tatum’s snubs.
Joe Mazzulla is thrilled that Jayson Tatum didn't win Finals MVP and got benched on Team USA during the Olympics
At Celtics Media Day, Tatum revealed that nobody has been happier to see him get passed over for these honors as Mazzulla. It’s odd, but it makes perfect sense for the psychotic Celtics leader.
“Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn't win Finals MVP and that I didn't play in two of the games in the Olympics,” Tatum said with a smile. “So that was odd, but it makes sense.”
For the past year, Mazzulla has implanted himself in the media over and over again, never failing to provide a wild quote or insane take. So, for those who have followed him and Celtics basketball, this line of thinking makes perfect sense.
Most championship teams have to deal with a hangover. They head into the next season, riding the high of winning a title. With Tatum getting snubbed a couple of times, he probably won’t have to deal with that.
Mazzulla always wants to keep his eyes forward, and the same goes for the Celtics. Looking back, they can appreciate the championship run, but Boston can’t defend their championship. They have to strive to win a second one.
Complacency is a killer in the NBA. It’s how title teams fade out and vanish into thin air. It’s how playoff teams turn into Play-In teams. It’s how Play-In teams end up in the lottery.
Brad Stevens did a great job setting the Celtics up for long-term success this summer. He re-signed everyone who was essential, and they have almost an identical roster heading into next year.
Tatum not getting some of the rewards he may have wanted in the past few months could be exactly what he needs to take another leap next season. Mazzulla knows that. And he’s excited to see what Tatum will become.