Brad Stevens Told Jayson Tatum to ‘Go on Vacation’ After Finals Loss

The former Celtics coach also touched on Tatum’s struggles against the Warriors.

The Celtics are coming off a heartbreaking end to the season when they lost to the Warriors in six games during the Finals. While addressing reporters Tuesday, team president Brad Stevens was asked what he told Jayson Tatum after the disappointing series.

“I just told him, ‘Go on vacation,’” Stevens said. “Go get some rest. This guy gave us everything he had. When you look at the minutes, when you look at the games played—I’ve said this many times—he’s a superstar that doesn’t want to sit.” 

Tatum is coming off the best year of his young career, but the last thing people will remember about this series is his struggles—specifically in the fourth quarter. Tatum averaged 40.7 minutes per game during the series along with 21.5 points on 36.7% shooting from the field. He averaged 26.9 points per game during the regular season and was named All-NBA first team.

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“Obviously, I think he would be the first to say that he would like to have some of those moments back,” Stevens continued. “We had several guys that really struggled in the Finals.”

Stevens coached Tatum for Boston before he took the president job last offseason, and his faith in the young superstar hasn’t wavered.  

• Inside The Celtics: Aaron Nesmith Discusses His Shooting Struggles 

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