Celtics' Jayson Tatum Channels Kobe Bryant With Road Game Mindset

Ricardo Klein | Mar 16, 2025

Mar 8, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) takes a shot during warmups before a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics returned to their winning ways on Friday when they defeated their conference rivals, the Miami Heat. The Celtics earned their 48th win of the season and will look to start a new winning streak moving forward.

Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum played a solid game, recording 28 points on a poor 8-of-21 shooting from the field, four rebounds, five assists, and one steal. Since the Celtics returned from the All-Star break, they have played 12 games.

As for Tatum, he has played in 11 of the 12 games, missing the first leg of a back-to-back on March 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Although he has been favoring a knee issue, Tatum has been on the court more often than not.

That's what he gets paid to do and what he does best. Tatum wants to be on the court if he is healthy enough. Boston has bigger goals in mind, but Tatum feels it is up to him to play when he can, especially on the road.

After the game, Tatum was asked about the bigger picture of resting him from time to time prior to their playoff run. Nonetheless, Tatum pushed back on it and took a page out of his mentor and idol, Kobe Bryant.

“A lot of head-butting, for sure.... I’ve talked about the value that I’ve put into playing in road games. I’ve been very blessed and fortunate to come into arenas — I see a lot of Tatum jerseys. I understand it might be for their birthday, Christmas gift or whatever.”

Jayson Tatum was asked by @tvabby about the conversations regarding him resting, and once again made clear he doesn’t like sitting on the road:

“A lot of head-butting, for sure.... I’ve talked about the value that I’ve put into playing in road games. I’ve been very blessed and… pic.twitter.com/BXzrTYmrZi

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) March 15, 2025

Bryant, an NBA icon and mentor to so many in the league today, is one who was vocal about missing games whether he was playing home or away.

 "Doesn't matter if I'm sick, doesn't matter if I have a sprained ankle, the kid that's sitting there might be the next me sitting up there, watching and trying to get inspiration from that. I needed to go out there and play. "

Bryant famously believed in playing every game, regardless of injury or illness. He disliked the concept of load management, stating that fans deserve to see him on the court and that it's a player's job to be ready to perform every night. Tatum took a page out of his book, and it's the right mentality to have.

Tatum has had a stellar season, leading his team to the No. 2 seed in the East. The 27-year-old has played in 62 of 67 games.

Boston plays their second leg of a back-to-back on Saturday against the Nets.

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For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.