Tatum shuts down ‘revenge game’ narrative after loss to Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Wednesday night’s Boston Celtics-Golden State Warriors showdown at TD Garden was circled on many calendars after the 2024-25 NBA schedule was announced.
Not only was it a marquee matchup between two of the NBA’s top teams, but it also was considered a “revenge game” for Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum against Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Kerr drew the ire of C’s fans when he benched Tatum twice during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Tatum had the second-fewest minutes of any player on Team USA’s roster.
While he had every reason to use that motivation for Wednesday’s game, Tatum downplayed the drama following Boston’s 118-112 defeat.
“It wasn’t on my mind,” Tatum said. “Just another Wednesday. Another game. Another opportunity to come in and try to be the best player I can be. Another day to just try to get a win.”
The Olympics might have been an afterthought for Tatum, but they were on the minds of the fans at TD Garden as they loudly booed Kerr before tip-off. Many hoped Tatum would match that “revenge” energy, but the 26-year-old has no interest in putting on a facade for the masses.
“That’s part of this job,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been dealing with my entire career. People want me to be louder. People want me to be mean or whatever. One thing about Jayson is like, I’m always going to do what the (expletive) I want to do and approach things the way I want to approach and what I feel is sincere to who I am as a person.”
Tatum explained how his mentality has changed since he entered the NBA at 19 years old.
“I mean, excuse my language, but you just learn to not give a (expletive),” he said. “I’m very comfortable in my own skin. I’m comfortable with the things I’ve accomplished. I know who I am and I’m comfortable with making my own decisions the way I want to make them and doing things the way I want to.
“When you’re younger, you’re very consumed or concerned with pleasing people that you don’t know or things like that. If I do things the way I want to do it, then I can live with the result in every situation. That’s where I’m at in my life.”
The five-time NBA All-Star did his part to give Boston a chance to win Wednesday night’s matchup. He ended up with a game-high 32 points on 10-of-20 shooting, 5 of 10 from 3-point range, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. He now has scored at least 30 points in five of the Celtics’ nine games this season.
Tatum and the C’s will take a 7-2 record into Friday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. Tip-off for that matchup is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
