Jayson Tatum has nothing to prove and everything to gain next season

When the Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA Championship, Jayson Tatum cemented himself as one of the best players of the decade. He’s been a constant face in the postseason for the last five years, and he finally helped Boston get over the hump this past season. Yet people still question him.

Jaylen Brown won Eastern Conference finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP. Rather than the media simply recognizing his greatness along with Tatum’s, this was used as a platform to once again divide the two. And when Tatum got benched on Team USA during the Olympics, these conversations were amplified.

Despite that, Tatum doesn’t have anything to prove next season. Yet he has everything to gain.

Jayson Tatum doesn't have to prove anything this season

Tatum has been in a shooting slump for a few months. Throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs, his three-point shot was off, and the trend continued into the Olympics. It was a big reason why he wasn't in the lineup for Steve Kerr.

He shot well during the regular season (37.6%, his best in three years), but in the big moments, it just wasn’t there.

Should he bounce back with a great performance from distance next year, some may forget about his woes from beyond the arc, but a lot of the discourse will persist.

That’s because most of the reasons people slander Tatum are out of his control.

Claim: The Celtics have so much talent that he gets carried. Reality: Brad Stevens is great at his job and built an amazing basketball team around Tatum. Claim: Brown is the best player on the team anyway. Reality: Both players are incredible, and Tatum led the Celtics in points, rebounds, and assists last postseason.

Throw in the hate he gets about his personality off the court, and it’s impossible for Tatum to win with some fans. That’s exactly why he has nothing to prove.

There is nothing Tatum can do next year that would sway the opinions of his haters, as people often hate him for illegitimate reasons. Plus, he’s already an NBA Champion and a three-time All-NBA First Team forward. He’s established himself as one of the best players in the league. He doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody.

But he has a lot to gain.

If Tatum wins another title, he’ll move up the all-time ranks. If his three-point shot comes around, his game will become even more dynamic than it already is. If his playmaking improves again, he will be even more impossible to guard.

In spite of all the discourse that came about this summer, Tatum is in a great spot heading into next season. He doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. He's a champion, a two-time gold medalist, and one of the best players in the league. But if he can continue to play at that level (and perhaps even improve), he'll gain something far more important than recognition.

Legacy.