Jayson Tatum Reveals Vulnerable Reaction to Losing 2022 NBA Finals

Eric Jay Santos | Jul 26, 2024

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

At 26 years old, Jayson Tatum has captured his first NBA championship. The St. Louis native was within close reach of the milestone on several occasions, mostly notably when the Boston Celtics faced the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals. 

During the championship series, Tatum averaged 21.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.8 rebounds over six games. In Game 6, he scored a lackluster 13 points on 6-of-18 shooting from the field. 

Per Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Tatum admits that losing the series impacted his confidence. 

“That was the first time where I thought, I don’t know, maybe I’m not one of the guys that can be the best player on the championship team,” Tatum says. “Because it was so hard to get to the Finals. And we still didn’t win. Getting there, that was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I was drained. That summer I had moments thinking that maybe you have to be a legend to win a championship. And there were moments where I wondered if I was going to be that guy, just because of how hard it is.”

In Boston’s champion-winning season, teammate Jaylen Brown would be named the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP. Tatum, however, was the Celtics’ playoff leader in points, rebounds, and assists.

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