Jayson Tatum opens up about the pressure of playing in Boston
Jayson Tatum talks about the pressure of playing in Boston originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Not every professional athlete is suited for a career in Boston. While Jayson Tatum has learned to embrace the high expectations that come with representing the city, it hasn't been an easy adjustment for the Celtics superstar.
Tatum was drafted third overall by the Celtics in 2017 as a 19-year-old. Boston had the No. 1 pick in the draft, but traded it to the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 3 pick and a future first-rounder. That decision to pass on Markelle Fultz — the No. 1 pick and consensus top player in the class — put even more pressure on Tatum to succeed.
Now 25 years old, Tatum is widely considered the current face of Boston sports. He talked about the challenge of meeting the expectations of Boston fans during his appearance on the BBC Point Forward podcast with Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner.
“Mentally it can be a lot,” Tatum said. “Just the idea that you're young, and every night there's 20,000 people coming to see you as Superman. They don't know what you're dealing with at home, family problems, you're fighting with someone in St. Louis, there's something wrong with (his son) Deuce, or whatever. It's like, 'No, I've seen you do this before, I wanna come see you do it tonight. I don't care what else you got going on .Be that person we want to see.” And you have to learn to deal with that.”
Boston wasn't the ideal destination for Tatum as a St. Louis native, not to mention a big fan of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. However, since his arrival, he has come to love the city's unique passion for its teams and athletes.
Now he dreams of the day he brings the elusive Banner 18 to TD Garden.
“Honestly, I didn't understand how special Boston was until I got here,” Tatum said. “I didn't like Boston. I felt like (the Patriots) beating the Rams (in Super Bowl XXXVI) was ultimately the reason the Rams left in the end. They beat Kobe in '08, so I was sick of that. But this is a special place. They love their sports teams, they love their boys.
“I feel like they've been embraced, I feel like they've accepted me as one of their guys. There's a sense of pride, there's an edge that you have to have to play here. I can't imagine the love , just imagining the reception “If you were to hang one of those banners. It would be incredible, it will be incredible. I know.”
Tatum and the Celtics' quest for an NBA title is off to a strong start. Boston owns first place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 15-5 record.
As for Tatum's individual performance, the four-time All-Star will be in the conversation for his first MVP award if he maintains his current pace. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for matches played in October and November.