BOSTON — Jayson Tatum had more of a speech planned when he took the microphone during the Celtics’ pregame ring and banner ceremony to honor the 2024 NBA Champions.
But in the moment, he couldn’t do it.
“I had planned something to say but I got caught up in the moment. I was overwhelmed,” he said. “I was like in awe and emotions got the best of me.”
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So he thanked “the greatest fans in the world” and said: “Let’s do it again.”
Watching Tatum emotions bubble over might have been better than any words he could have said for the Celtics crowd. Fans want players to care at least as much as they do and Tatum, who couldn’t stop admiring his ring, was embodying the ceremony’s entire mood.
As he watched the event unfold in front of him, Tatum took a deep breath and smiled. The Celtics forward looked like a groom standing in the front of the church, waiting for the bride to make her way down the aisle.
He knew what was going to happen and that it was going to be special. But until the moment washed over him, he didn’t understand, or more truthfully couldn’t understand, how powerful it would actually be.
Tatum was in awe as legends Bob Cousy, Cedric Maxwell, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett emerged onto the floor to welcome Tatum and the rest of the 2024 team into their fraternity of Celtics champions. He watched those 2008 champions as a kid and now they were honoring him.
Tatum is part of that lineage now. From Cousy and Russell to KC and Sam Jones, to Havlicek and Cowens, to the Big 3′s of the 1980′s and 2000′s. Tatum and Jaylen Brown are on a path to having their numbers retired and to be spoken about in the same reverent tones.
“It’s just something I’ve been dreaming about for a very, very long time. A moment that I’ve looked forward to since I’ve gotten to the league,” Tatum said. “I’ve been very, very close to winning a championship and fallen short. So to finally get over that hump and finally be a part of an opening night ring ceremony — something I’ve watched every year since I was a kid. It was just a wild moment. I’m a part of history and it was worth the wait.”
No matter what happened in the game that followed, the night would have been special. But Tatum made sure he followed the ceremony with a signature performance. He made 14 of his 18 shots (8-for-11 from 3-point range) en route to a 37 point, 11-assist effort in the Celtics’ 132-109 drubbing of the Knicks.
“Tonight was special. It was everything I thought it would be and more,” Tatum said. “The video showing all the ups and downs of the last eight years with emotion, seeing the fans, seeing the legends like Ray Allen and those guys — that was cool. It was something that we always bonded with, a night that we’ll always remember. That was special.”
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.
