Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics’ player, spoke to the media before Game 4 of the NBA Finals series against the Dallas Mavericks.
On Wednesday night, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics took a significant step toward clinching this year’s NBA championship by defeating Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, held on the Mavericks’ home court. Tatum delivered his best performance of the series so far, scoring 31 points with notable shooting efficiency. He was ably supported by his fellow star, Jaylen Brown, who added 30 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
Throughout the series, much has been discussed about Tatum’s shooting woes in the first two games and how this might affect his chances of securing the Finals MVP if the Celtics win the championship.
However, Tatum himself appears unfazed by such discussions.
“Man, I want everyone to be at their best,” Tatum told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. “I want everyone to contribute. Winning will take care of everything.
“… Finals MVP or whatever, a champion is a champion. That’s the goal. I want for my teammates what I want for myself. I want everybody to shine. There’s enough attention for all of us. And so, I want everybody to give us theirs.”
Tatum also reflected on his personal drive in these Finals, especially after the team’s defeat in 2022 against the Golden State Warriors.
“Because I’ve been here before, and I know what it’s like to lose (in the Finals) and that was the worst feeling ever,” Tatum shared. “That was the worst summer I’ve ever had. I made the All-Star team five times. I’m All-NBA first team year after year. The only thing they said I haven’t done is win. I just vowed to myself that if I ever got back to the Finals, then I would literally do whatever I needed to do to ensure that we have a different outcome.”
It seems likely that the Celtics will achieve a different result in 2024 compared to 2022, given that no team in NBA history has ever lost a series after leading 3-0, especially not in the Finals.
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