Jayson Tatum has a decorated résumé that includes five All-Star nods, a gold medal and an NBA championship. But there is one thing he has yet to achieve: Being named the league MVP.
It’s on the Boston Celtics forward’s radar, though, and he predicted he’d win the award next season during his appearance on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon.
Kendrick Perkins, who’s never been afraid to say how he truly feels, shared what he thought of Tatum’s declaration, and related it back to when he was in the league.
“He’s selfish, and it’s a great way of saying it. I’m not being negative right now, but seeking or concentrating on one’s own advantage, pleasure or well-being without regard for others,” the Celtics champion said on “NBA Today.” “Here’s the thing, I understand basketball is a team sport, and I get championships have helped define a lot of guys’ legacies. I’m still called an NBA Champion to this day.
“If a guy wants to hit individual accolades, I’m all for it. (Kevin Garnett) and I back in 2009, 2010, we actually got into a heated battle, which almost cost us our relationship after we won the championship because KG thought I was playing to try and make the All-Star team. And I was,” Perkins continued. “I did have my own personal agenda. And the big fella had to go think about it, he came to me a few days later and said ‘Perk, I should want you to make the All-Star team, you should want that for yourself.’ So I don’t have a problem with a player being somewhat selfish and wanting to accomplish things on an individual basis.”
Perkins has been critical of Tatum — who’s +1800 to win the MVP next season on DraftKings — in the past. In January 2022, he took to social media after Jaylen Brown posted his first-career triple-double and took a shot and Tatum in the process.
“Jaylen Brown completely took over this game with his first triple double of his career!” Perkins posted to X. “Played a perfect game while Jayson Tatum went 6/14 from the field. They got the win tho! Carry on…”
Tatum replied: “Normalizing uplifting one man without bringing another one down. JB played great it’s alright to leave it at that.”
The Celtics have a lot of strong team chemistry and despite having several stars, made the proper sacrifices in order to reach the ultimate goal. And while Perkins said he wasn’t being negative in his approach, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Tatum used it as motivation going into the 2024-25 NBA season.
