Jayson Tatum Discusses Playing with Jaylen Brown, His Reaction to Marcus Smart's Call Out, and Changing All-NBA Voting

Jayson Tatum joins JJ Redick and Tommy Alter on The Old Man and The Three to discuss playing for Mike Krzyzewski, the people who think him and Jaylen Brown should break up, the Celtics' season turnaround, and more.

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When Jayson Tatum appears on podcasts such as The Old Man and The Three, hosted by JJ Redick and Tommy Alter, or the Knuckleheads Podcast, co-hosted by Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson, he gets a chance to showcase more of his personality than while briefly speaking to the media post-game.

One trait that always stands out when he's on platforms such as those two is his maturity. Joining Redick and Alter for the latest episode of The Old Man and The Three, Tatum offered his perspective on a wide range of subjects.

One of the first topics Redick wanted Tatum's insight on started with a comment the three-time All-Star made after a Jan. 6 loss to the Knicks. That was the game RJ Barrett drilled a game-winning three to beat the buzzer. Afterward, Tatum said the following.

I look back to those years when we were going to the conference finals; I thought that was just normal, winning all of those games.

Since then, the Celtics are 16-5 and have the second-best record in the league in that stretch. That prompted Redick to ask Tatum about his comment and what's changed for Boston, who's sixth in the East and two games from the third seed in the conference standings.

"I think health and awareness. I think us being aware of, quite frankly, things we weren't doing right, things we were messing up. And I think health-wise, having our core group, having our starting lineup for the majority of these last 17 or so games has made a world of difference.

"I remember when I said that, because especially in the beginning of the season has been the toughest, up-and-down, we would go up two games above .500, then go down two games. And I remember my first year, we won 18 games in a row, and my second year, we were supposed to have the most talented team, and my third year, I went back to the conference finals; I was spoiled. I thought this was how it was supposed to be every year.

"A little bit last year, but especially this year, it was kind of the first time I was like, 'alright, this is the other side of the NBA.' You're struggling a little bit and trying to figure it out, and it's not always happy days coming to practice. Everybody's on edge a little bit, and we're frustrated, so I for sure remember saying that."

Redick went on to ask Tatum about the (ridiculous) narrative the Celtics would be better off breaking up him and Jaylen Brown and whether the two of them have an open dialogue about that subject.

"I couldn't imagine why you wouldn't want to have two of the best players that are under 25 on your team."

Jayson Tatum on people who want to break up he and Jaylen Brown. pic.twitter.com/aifI64Xd6b

— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) February 18, 2022

"We've had plenty of talks. We ask each other, 'do you want to be here?' And we both were like, 'yeah.' He was like, 'bro, I don't understand.'... If you really think about it, we've had way more success together than this year and what we didn't accomplish last year.

"JB's been to three conference finals; I've been to two. I think we're both still very far from our prime. And I think what people don't understand is, 'like, alright, if you want to break us up,' the grass is not always greener.

"There are not a lot of guys in the NBA like JB. Or if you want to get rid of me, not to toot my own horn, but I think I'm one of the best players. So, I couldn't imagine why you wouldn't want to have two of the best players that are under 25 on your team. Yeah, there are certain rough patches throughout a season, but we've won way more games together than we've lost."

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Redick also asked Tatum about his reaction to Marcus Smart's comments after the Celtics squandered a 19-point second-half lead against the Bulls on Nov. 1.

Afterward, Smart said: “Every team knows we’re going to Jayson and Jaylen, and every team is programmed and studies to stop Jayson and Jaylen. I think everybody’s scouting report is to make those guys try and pass the ball. They don’t want to pass the ball, and that’s something that they’re going to learn.”

Smart went on to say: “They’re still learning and we’re proud of the progress they are making, but they are going to have to make another step and find ways to not only create for themselves but create for others on this team."

When Tatum heard that, he said, "it caught me off guard, for sure. And I think what you have to understand, I think with being in the NBA is, especially sometimes after, we had just blown an 18-point lead or something to Chicago, this is the beginning of the season, we're probably like 2-5, and everybody's frustrated. We're all on edge a little bit.

"So when I saw it, I wasn't angry, I wasn't mad or anything. I just waited until the next day. I saw Smart at the facility, and we sat down and talked. And I think it was a great talk, actually. We had some time to sleep, and the adrenaline was gone from the game.

"He apologized for what he said, and that was something he shouldn't have said in the media and they got his words mixed up or whatever. And I didn't take offense. I started off by saying, 'Listen, bro, I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. I've still got a long way to go from where I'm trying to get to.' But I think we ended the conversation on, we're in this together, we're all on the same team, and we're trying to figure it out."

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Redick also brought up the high volume of commentary about Tatum's shot selection, curious how much he pays attention to that and if it has any effect on him when he's on the court.

After saying, "there's a fine line between paying attention to it and letting it affect you," acknowledging that, of course, most of what's said about him makes it back to the three-time All-Star. Tatum opened up about the one time he let the conversation about his game affect him.

"The only time I let it affect me, I remember last year, it was in the playoffs, the playoffs might've been over. Everybody was coming out with their All-NBA ballots and podcasts and who they were voting for, and I had $30 million on the line. And I specifically remember one person saying, 'I'm not a fan of his shot selection, so I just couldn't put him on my All-NBA ballot.' And I was baffled.

"...The fact that somebody could have that thought and basically cost someone $30 million … I think that has to change. There’s no criteria set for the media voters on who they should vote for. It’s like all opinion-based...I think there’s just a little too much on the line for that.”

The conversation between Tatum, Redick, and Alter hit on a number of other intriguing topics, including Tatum's time at Duke, reminiscing on the Celtics' 2018 playoff run to the conference finals, during which they knocked off Redick and the Sixers, and Tatum dunked on LeBron James.

The three of them also discussed Boston's postseason run in the bubble in 2020 and the toll the series against the Raptors took on them entering the Eastern Conference Finals.

And at the end of the podcast, Tatum plugged that he's partnered, is an investor and co-founder in a sugar-free candy company that will launch next year called 'side-step sweets.'

You can check out Tatum's appearance on The Old Man and The Three here: Jayson Tatum On The Downside Of Early NBA Success, Why He and Jaylen Brown Work and Coach K Lessons

Further Reading

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Coach Krzyzewski's Message to Danny Ainge, Brad Stevens When Celtics Were Deciding Whether to Draft Jayson Tatum

Celtics Sign Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet to Standard Contracts, Can Now Add Players Via 10-Day Deals

Brad Stevens Addresses Celtics' Motivations at the Deadline: 'We want to maintain the stretch we're on, but this is about the long-term'

10 Tidbits About Jayson Tatum's All-Star Game Appearance: Historic Achievements, Past Performances, Adding to Celtic Lore