Jayson Tatum scored 20 points in 22 minutes of his fifth All-Star Game representing the Boston Celtics.
As the 25-year-old continues another standout season as the Celtics chase Banner 18, Tatum’s confidence in himself is reaching a different level. In a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Tatum shared that he does believe he is the best player in the NBA right now.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for guys in the league,” Tatum said. “Giannis (Antetokounmpo) for sure. (Nikola) Jokic and (Joel) Embiid (are) guys that won MVPs. The league is in a great place. I truly do believe that every night I step on the floor, I’m the best player.”
Tatum pointed to Boston’s loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals as a turning point for his confidence. Though the loss was crushing, the days following the loss motivated Tatum to step up.
“I’m a big believer in that everything happens for a reason,” Tatum added. “I’ve grown from it. I’ve learned from it. In a weird way, I’m thankful for it.”
Despite degrees of postseason success, Tatum knows that his path to being remembered as a great is winning a championship for the Celtics. Taking the next step at the start of the summer remains the priority.
“I want to be a winner,” Tatum shared. “I want to win. … It’s tough when you have success early. I’ve been to The Finals once. I’ve been to the conference finals four times. It just seems like (I) should have done that. I was just doing those things at a really young age.”
“I truly do believe my time is coming,” Tatum added. “It’s going to be well worth it.”
Tatum looks to keep the Celtics on a championship path in their return from the All-Star Break on Thursday in Chicago against the Bulls.
