Jayson Tatum has been the most impressive player from the Boston Celtics over the past few years. Most people thought he was the afterthought in the 2017 Draft as the third overall pick, as the focus was on Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz. Unfortunately for those two, Tatum immediately leap-frogged them and became a superstar.
Carmelo Anthony spoke about how he sees similarities between Tatum and former superstar Dwyane Wade , citing early success during the first few years of their careers with Wade’s 2006 win and Tatum’s 2024 championship.
“From the standpoint of having success, coming in right away. Most young guys because of the team they get drafted to, they might not be as good. It takes them a while before they get that success,” Wade said on the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast with Melo. “He's only 26, and he's had the pressure of winning it. They’ve been talking about this because of all that success. I never faced that, it went by so fast.”
Tatum’s 2024 championship was a cathartic win for him
Despite only getting drafted in 2017, Tatum has been a focal point for the Celtics’ postseason runs. In the seven seasons he played in Boston, the team has gone to the Eastern Conference Finals five times. They made it to the NBA Finals twice, winning it in 2024.
Most people would be happy having that kind of run, but Tatum was thrust into the spotlight immediately. Even when Kyrie Irving was on the Celtics for his first two seasons, expectations were high for JT because he was the next big star.
Jayson had no problems adjusting to that role, as he naturally became the team’s star player. Thankfully, he had a fantastic supporting cast and an All-Star running mate in Jaylen Brown . That partnership propelled them to the championship in 2024, with JB winning the Finals MVP but still credited JT for his success .
After all the pushback they experienced after losing the 2022 Finals, it was a much-deserved win for the Celtics. Now, they look destined to keep going and competing for the title as a core group of players.
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Wade took the NBA world by surprise
While the Miami Heat were a good team when Shaquille O’Neal got traded there, many did not expect them to be instant title contenders. In only his third season as a pro, D-Wade carried the Heat to the Finals to go from 0-2 down to winning four consecutive games to win the championship.
Most people were surprised because they did not expect Wade to play like that as soon as he did. That performance in the Finals made Wade a bonafide superstar. He did not experience the same thing as Tatum, who had to deal with criticism that gradually worsened due to their failures at the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
That impressed Wade about Tatum, as he kept pushing despite the struggles of dealing with that kind of criticism. Now, JT is one of the best players in the league, cemented as a champion and superstar.
Related: "It was the lowest moment in my career" – Tatum on losing the 2022 NBA Finals against the Warriors
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