Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum explained after a 130-104 victory over the Washington Wizards that he loves to hoop -- and that Joe Mazzulla and Co. have come to learn that he isn't one to sit out games for rest just cause.
"I've been here seven years; they understand kind of what they're dealing with; I don't like to sit out," Tatum said (h/t Inside The Celtics). "I understand if I was injured or whatever, but, I said before, I just love to play the game.
"Especially on the road, so many fans out there with Tatum 0 jerseys came to see me play. So I kind of take pride in making sure I'm available as much as I can."
Jayson Tatum gives Boston Celtics fans reason to buy tickets for road games
You have to love those words from No. 0.
Tatum is a man of the people, as this presser statement proves. But his message about stars resting is interesting considering the NBA made it a point before the season that they'd curb stars resting during the 2023-24 season.
NBA resting rules seemingly unenforced during 2023-24 season
Per ESPN, five rules were instituted by the league back in October: no more than one star player is unavailable for the same game, teams must ensure that star players are available for national TV and in-season tournament games, teams must maintain a balance between the number of one-game absences for a star player in home games and road games -- with a preference for those absences to happen in home games, teams must refrain from any long-term shutdown -- or near shutdown -- when a star player stops participating in games or plays in a materially reduced role in circumstances affecting the integrity of the game, and teams must ensure that healthy players resting for a game are present and visible to fans.
Tatum making this comment shows that those rules didn't move the needle on fans getting their money's worth by seeing their favorite players on the road one bit.