Jayson Tatum Gets Real On His Run With Kyrie Irving: ‘It’s Not Just Talent That Takes You Over The Top…’
Prior to facing Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and the Dallas Mavericks, Jayson Tatum, a standout player for the Celtics, thought back on his past mistakes. Tatum talked more particularly on the lessons he took away from the 2018–19 season, which was his final game with Kyrie Irving prior to his summertime departure.
Tatum quoted Celtics beat writer Jack Simone as saying, “Being on such a talented team, I learned it’s not just talent that’s going to take you over the top.” “Everyone moved past it and took lessons from it. While some of us stayed, other guys moved on.”
Tatum, a 5x All-Star, has been with the Celtics since 2017 and he’s led them through countless peaks and valleys. The 2018-19 campaign, which saw the Celtics get bounced in 5 games by the Bucks, is widely considered the biggest failure in Tatum’s short career thus far.
Kyrie Irving was famously a part of that Celtics team and for his part in sowing chaos behind the scenes, the 2016 champion became the popular scapegoat among critics. Tatum, who had just completed his second NBA season at the time, never fed that narrative. To this day, the 26-year-old swingman blames the collective selfishness of everyone involved for what kept the team from accomplishing their goals that season.
“For the team to have a shot, you need guys who are prepared to make sacrifices and guys who are willing to do other things. It wasn’t just Kyrie; it was all of us. That season wasn’t a success for all of us, even Tatum.
It’s difficult to deny the impression that the Celtics could have done better that season. If the group had been able to stay together long enough, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford may have turned the Celtics into a near-superteam. Rather, eight-time All-Stars Irving and Tatum are competing against each other in the Finals for the right to win the championship.
Jayson Tatum Has A Lot Of Great Memories With Kyrie Irving As His Teammate
Even in the face of battle, Jayson Tatum showed nothing but respect to his former teammate turned enemy, Kyrie Irving. Despite the ugly manner in which Kyrie departed years ago, Tatum showed nothing but love and gratitude toward the 6’2″ point guard legend.
“Obviously it had a lot of ups and downs but being a first and second-year player, being around a superstar every day and seeing how to navigate that space.”
Not to be overlooked is Irving’s skill level on the floor. Tatum had a front-row ticket to watch Kyrie at the height of his powers while he was playing for the Celtics. Even as a five-time All-Star himself, Tatum is still in awe of the things his former teammate accomplished with the ball.
“On the court, he’s one of the most talented guys I’ve ever seen,” Jayson remarked. “I have a lot of great memories from having [Kyrie Irving] as a teammate.”
With the Celtics, Irving averaged 24.1 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game; but, he has excelled even more since joining the Mavericks. With a stat line of 25.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game on 49% shooting this season, Irving has more than fulfilled his job on the floor since teaming up with 25-year-old Luka Doncic.
It will be intriguing to watch who wins this series, but it’s amazing how much has changed for both parties since their initial breakup years ago.
