Celtics' Jayson Tatum makes 2025 NBA Finals prediction, says Boston will aim to repeat against familiar foe

Jayson Tatum has had quite the year between winning his first NBA title and adding an Olympic gold medal to his trophy case. It will take a lot to top that in 2025, but the Boston Celtics star did predict another deep postseason run for his team.

In an appearance on "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon," Tatum was asked to predict the 2025 NBA Finals matchup. Hopefully everyone liked last season's clash between the Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks because Tatum has foreseen a rematch.

"It's gonna be a rematch," Tatum said. "We're gonna play Dallas again."

The Celtics could only hope the series goes as smoothly as it did in 2024, with Boston taking care of Dallas in just five games. Tatum was excellent for the Celtics, averaging 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.

On top of the NBA championship and his gold medal, Tatum was also announced as the cover athlete for NBA 2K25. Out of everything he's accomplished over the last year, Tatum said he might be most excited about that.

"That might be the coolest thing," Tatum said. "Just as a kid, every kid grew up playing NBA 2K. First, you dream about being in the game, and that happens in your rookie year. Then, the top of the mountain is being on the cover. Just seeing now is a surreal feeling. It's incredible."

Tatum's bank account also grew substantially over the summer. The Celtics locked in their superstar with a record five-year contract worth $314 million .