Were Jayson Tatum’s comments intended as disrespect to the Mavs?
Jayson Tatum was a recent guest at Maynard Fine Arts Theatre where he was promoting his new children’s book “Baby Dunks-A-Lot.” During the event he was asked about the Celtics’ run to the NBA Finals and his response revealed the Dallas Mavericks were not even on his radar as a possible opponent, much less one that would beat them.
The narrative regarding Tatum’s comments quickly became that he was directly slighting the Mavericks. While that may very well be the case, I’m personally not so sure. Regardless, any additional motivation can only be a good thing for a Dallas team trying to claim a second championship, but a deeper look at the comment may reveal some nuanced value beyond the apparent bulletin board material. Tatum’s comment came to light when asked about the Celtics’ Finals victory by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
“People always ask me, when did you guys know you were going to win a championship? When Minnesota beat Denver, I felt like Denver was the only team that they matched up best with us. I thought that we were going to play Denver in the Finals and it was going to be a good one.”
If there was disrespect being displayed, was it exclusively centered on the Mavericks? Tatum explicitly states he believed the Celtics would be in the NBA Finals, essentially dismissing the entire Eastern Conference. He also effectively dismisses the entire Western Conference aside from the Denver Nuggets, as his comment suggests Boston and Denver were all but certain to be the last two teams standing. Once Denver was eliminated, his view was that no team remained to legitimately challenge the Celtics.
The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Nuggets in a historic Game 7 comeback in Round 2 of the Playoffs. That game took place on May 19th, 2024. Essentially, Tatum implies that the championship was decided two days before he and the Celtics even tipped off against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, as they nor the Timberwolves or Mavericks were on the short list of legitimate threats. It looks like there is enough resentment to go around for a few franchises, if any are looking for further motivation this season.
What the Mavs Can Learn, If They Don’t Already Know It
The Celtics were the best team in the entire NBA, going 64-18 in the Regular Season. They were by far the best team in the East, having a 14-game lead over the number 2 seed. They were also two years removed from losing the NBA Finals in 2022. They suffered a loss on the biggest stage and two years later showed they were the best team in the league. With that failure and subsequent success, Tatum was displaying a confidence that perhaps only comes over time though that type of unique experience.
Tatum’s seeming disrespect toward the Mavericks (Pacers and Timberwolves) may actually have been a demonstration of a cognizance that is not immediately apparent. Tatum’s belief that the Nuggets were the biggest threat to the Celtics most likely stemmed from the fact they were. The Nuggets were the only team in the league the Celtics did not defeat last season.
If we view the comment at face value with no ulterior motives behind them, we get a dramatically different perspective; one of a player and team who failed on the biggest stage, worked their way back to the top of the league in the regular season, assessed the competitive landscape and took advantage of every opportunity to win the biggest prize. While the Mavericks should absolutely take offense to Tatum’s comments and use them as further motivation (why not?), they would be remiss not to use them as a potential-looking glass as well. The Mavericks just lost on the biggest stage, reloaded, and are about to embark on a new season. They are well poised to make serious noise in the NBA both this year and beyond. With improved continuity and veteran experience, they will be better suited to identifying the biggest threats in front of them and must go after those threats with no mercy. Here’s hoping it won’t take two years for Mavericks players to be in a position to reflect on their championship success.