Individuals appear oddly fixated on Jayson Tatum’s legacy today, and I’m anxious it would tear society aside. So as an knowledgeable who has been arguing with strangers on the web about this topic for 3 full years, it’s time I intervened.
The NBA is a extremely private league. As a result of there are so few of them, nice gamers are extra essential to us than they’re in another sport. We develop parasocial relationships with them, need to be fulfilled by them and might develop into understandably defensive when folks come for our prodigal sons. Nevertheless it takes a eager eye to see the bigger image.
Regardless of the criticism, and the criticism of the critics after which the criticism of the critics’ critics, Jayson Tatum is precisely what he must be: a spectacular participant on a spectacular staff, who has achieved the head of NBA success. He confirmed how damaging his underappreciated, do-it-all ability set may be via Boston’s Saturday win over of the scorching-hot Lakers. The sport was truly an ideal encapsulation of Tatum’s dynamic within the discourse, because the Lakers have two gamers some might put forward of Tatum, however it didn’t matter, as a result of his explicit model of greatness continues to place an excellent Celtics staff excessive.
He’s by no means going to be the face of the NBA, neither is he ever going to be the very best participant within the league. And that’s nice.
To cite Michael Pina of The Ringer, we’re completely lacking the forest for the timber right here. Tatum’s stature towards all of NBA historical past ignores the sort of participant he truly is. And we must be asking questions on that, not “is Tatum actually a celebrity,” which is like asking if an apple is a fruit. Like… yeah, after all. However is the apple simply… an apple, or is it a particular, tremendous apple?
Within the NBA, most super-duper stars have some kind of magical energy that nobody has ever seen earlier than, however Tatum doesn’t. Nikola Jokic’s imaginative and prescient or Giannis Antetokounmpo’s downhill momentum break the materials of basketball actuality, whereas Tatum is simply one of the technically good swingmen we’ve ever seen. He isn’t the greatest at one factor, however he’s actually, tremendous, duper, extremely good at every thing. In the event you requested an AI to create the best NBA participant, it might spit out Tatum.
Taking pictures, ending, passing, rebounding, protection, dribbling. You can discover a participant within the league higher than Tatum at any of these items, however attempt to discover me one higher than him at all of them. Gilgeous-Alexander? A lot worse passer and rebounder. Antetokounmpo? Can’t shoot. Luka Doncic? Defensive legal responsibility. Victor Wembanyama might surpass Tatum someday in all six abilities, however who is aware of if he’ll blossom into an all-world passer? Tatum is simply so good at so a lot.
As an alternative of worrying about which participant comps his critics have thrown out, let’s ask Tatum about his lofty goals. He has not been shy about his frustrations — he’s admitted he doesn’t really feel appreciated for all he’s completed at such a younger age — however he’s additionally been open about his ambitions, as earlier than the Celtics set off on their 2024 championship run, he declared that he has his sights set on hallowed floor.
“I’d like to be on the Mount Rushmore of Celtics. Chook, Russell, Paul Pierce and people guys. They paved the way in which. The one factor all these guys have is chips. I’ve to get to the highest of the mountain to even be thought-about a kind of guys. I need to be an all-time nice, I need to be often known as a winner, and I consider I shall be.”
If we put our literary-analysis hat on for a second, Tatum is mainly equating “being a winner” with “being an all-time nice,” which I’d argue isn’t how we truly calculate these issues. Successful doesn’t make somebody an all-time nice, nor does being an all-time nice truly require that a lot profitable. Nikola Jokic is already (at the least) the fifteenth best participant ever, and Tatum isn’t even in that ballpark; but they each have precisely one NBA title. It’s stats and awards that set the 2 aside.
Tatum additionally names three gamers he desires to sit down subsequent to in Celtics Valhalla: Chook, Russell and Pierce. And I feel these three are the crux of his legacy. He has no likelihood of changing into nearly as good as Chook or Russell; these are two of the highest six gamers ever, and Tatum doesn’t have the abilities to pay these sorts of payments. Pierce, nonetheless? Iconic Celtics participant, however Tatum completely has what it takes to be higher than him all-time. In truth, he’s careening in direction of doing that.
Is Pierce actually an “all-time nice”? For the Celtics, sure, however he’s nowhere close to the Pantheon of NBA historical past with the likes of contemporary day legends Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and even his private idol Kobe Bryant. Tatum appears more likely to retire a greater participant than Pierce, but which may be his greatest stylistic comparability: beloved by his hometown followers, with a Corridor of Fame profession (and Tatum’s shall be higher), however by no means fairly rising to the extent of a nationwide favourite.
Or, perhaps all of these aura arguments will not be only a waste of time, however immediately contrasting with actuality. Tatum truly could be face-of-the-league standard…simply not amongst terminally on-line NBA followers. He’s third within the NBA in jersey gross sales — properly above Antetokounmpo, Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic — displaying he resonates worldwide with at the least any person. Possibly that isn’t Colin Cowherd, however he’s not the president of the universe.
However can Tatum ascend previous Pierce’s tier? Will he get to that final degree?
In all probability not. As a lifetime member of the Skilled Affiliation of Jayson Tatum Analysts (PAJTA, we’re engaged on the acronym), I personally suppose he lacks the superpowers he would require to raise him to the legendary standing of his iconic contemporaries, particularly Antetokounmpo and Jokic. However he’s nonetheless undoubtedly nice, and this cycle of offending and getting-offended must be stopped by acknowledging that there are various kinds of greatness.
Some wrongly assert that the face of the NBA have to be American, a vaguely-xenophobic take that ignores how worldwide the league has develop into. However the want for a younger American celebrity has seen pundits venture their needs for a “subsequent Kobe” or a “subsequent LeBron” onto Tatum, however they’re lacking the boat solely. We’ve got the subsequent faces of the league already, within the plain greatness of Jokic and Antetokounmpo and the promise of Wembanyama and Doncic. There isn’t a good cause why these guys can’t outline the league going ahead, with Tatum persevering with to dominate in his personal manner.
He’s a personal man, and particularly didn’t say he wished to be the “face of the league” in his assertion of objective I discussed above. That’s to not say he doesn’t really feel disrespected or isn’t marketable, however he’s definitely not the in-your-face movie star that some need him to be. He has all the time cared extra about his household and his recreation than being within the subsequent Area Jam or Thunderstruck, being a player-GM or going after his haters on social media. However he’s his personal sort of celebrity, one who might finally win a number of championships and retire a surefire Corridor of Famer. That’s who he’s, and those that need him to be one thing else shall be ready a very long time.
And that’s all good… as a result of attending to that degree within the first place is so uncommon. He’s snowballing a profession collectively which may make him the third-best Celtic in historical past, and we must always all respect the wonderful participant he’s moderately than worrying about who he isn’t, and possibly by no means shall be. As a result of it’s not in regards to the forest of NBA historical past, it’s about every, particular person, actually awesome-looking tree.