Jayson Tatum Feels 'Embraced' by Boston Community

In the midst of his seventh season with the Celtics, Jayson Tatum describes how his relationship with Boston has evolved.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

On a recent episode of the Point Forward Podcast, Jayson Tatum was asked about his desired legacy in Boston. The city is associated with the likes Tom Brady, David Ortiz, and Paul Pierce.

Tatum originally disliked Boston’s sports teams for depriving the St. Louis Rams and Kobe Bryant of a championship victory.

“I didn’t understand how special of a place Boston was when I got here. I didn’t like Boston. I felt like [the New England Patriots] beating the [St. Louis] Rams was the reason the Rams ended up leaving… [The Boston Celtics] beat Kobe [Bryant] in 2008, so I was sick about that.”

Tatum feels accepted by Boston’s community, and he believes that his legacy will magnify if he leads the Celtics to their 18th NBA championship.

“They love their sports teams. They love their guys. I feel like I’ve been embraced, that they’ve accepted me as one of their guys… I can only imagine the love, the reception, if you hung one of those banners up. It would be incredible. It’s going to be incredible.”

Tatum currently ranks seventh on the KIA MVP Ladder. This season, the St. Louis native is averaging 27.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

Watch the full interview here. 

Further Reading

Derrick White Discusses His 'Horrible' Second Half, C's 3rd Qtr. Struggles After Loss to Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton, Another Sloppy 3rd Qtr., Propel Pacers Past Celtics in In-Season Tournament

Former Celtics Assess If Boston Needs to Make Move to Help Title Pursuit

Joe Mazzulla Praises Payton Pritchard's Fourth-Quarter Performance in C's Win vs. 76ers

Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Earned Ugly Win vs. 76ers

Celtics Share Their Perspective of NBA's Flawed but Successful In-Season Tournament

An Empowered Jaylen Brown Strives to Balance Scoring with Playmaking: 'I've Grown A Lot'

Celtics' Loss to Magic Highlights Their Most Concerning Traits

Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis Discuss Their Quickly Cultivated Chemistry: 'An Automatic Connection'

Joe Mazzulla Believes Celtics' Second Unit is 'Starting to Develop an Identity'

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present