Jayson Tatum is aware of how difficult it is to be an NBA star. This is why the on-court leader of the Boston Celtics has high regard for the players who have gone before him. Recently, he named his all-time list of the best players in league history.
Listing any all-time list isn’t easy. There are chances someone could leave a specific player off their list. There are times when the ranking of a player might be questioned by fans who don’t agree with the list.
Tatum’s list boasts greatness. However, he forgot to add Shaquille O’Neal, the most dominant center in the modern NBA. Still, the Celtics star mentioned three former players for the LA Lakers who have left lasting impressions.
“Mike, Bron, Kobe,” Tatum said. “It’s tough I wanna say Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), but I never, like, I didn’t see Kareem play. But I respect what he did. So, Mike (Jordan), Bron (James), Kobe (Bryant), Kareem, Magic (Johnson) and Steph (Curry).”
Tatum’s list may not include O’Neal, but he showed how much he respects his peers. Even if he didn’t get a chance to watch Abdul-Jabbar play in his prime, or even his latter years in the NBA, he still included him on the list.
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Jayson Tatum on the pressure of being a star
Since getting drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2017, Jayson Tatum has been viewed as a star. Tatum has done an excellent job of living up to the expectations of the fans regularly. But he isn’t immune to the criticism that comes with it.
During his appearance on the “Point Forward” podcast, Tatum shared what the pressure has been like as a star.
“Mentally, it can be a lot,” Tatum said. “Just the idea of being young, and every single night, there’s 20,000 people who came to see you be Superman.
“They don’t know what you’re dealing with at home, family problems, you argued with someone back in St. Louis, something wrong with (his son) Deuce, or whatever. It’s like, ‘No, I’ve seen you do this before. I want to come see you do it tonight. I don’t care what else you got going on. Be that person we want to see.’ And you’ve got to learn to navigate that.”
Fans haven’t stopped from criticizing Tatum. But he’s been able to back it up and show how he’s grown as a star. For this season, the three-time All-NBA is averaging 27.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Also read: “Wanted to f**king go to Vegas”: Jayson Tatum doesn’t mince words after Boston’s heartbreaking In-Season Tournament quarterfinal loss
