What Jayson Tatum Said About Eastern Conference Contenders’ Moves

The 76ers and Knicks made two splashes this offseason to try to close the gap on the Celtics, but Jayson Tatum still believes the East goes through Boston after winning the title.

In an interview with “7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & The Kid Mero,” the Celtics star said he respects his opponents after the trades they made during the offseason. However, Tatum also believes that winning a championship gives him some confidence.

“It’s twofold,” Tatum said when asked about the 76ers and Knicks trades. “I see all the changes and people changing teams. Obviously, teams get better. But that’s the case every offseason. You have to have an appropriate fear or respect for your opponent. You never want to disrespect who you’re playing.”

“But that being said, we won. Like when you win a championship, you can talk however you want, in a respectful way. They have to go through us.”

The 76ers, who have consistently been among the top teams in the East since Tatum arrived in Boston, signed Paul George in free agency to form a star trio with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. They also re-signed Kelly Oubre and added Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon to help bolster their rotation.

Meanwhile, the Knicks traded five first-round picks and a swap of first-round picks to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Nets. The forward has been highly touted for his two-way abilities over the years, averaging 19.6 points per game last season and finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting with the Suns in 2022. They also re-signed star forward OG Anunoby and extended star guard Jalen Brunson to a deal many consider well below his market value.

While the 76ers and Knicks picks have been widely praised, many still consider the Celtics the heavy favorites. Several ESPN analysts recently called Boston the best team in the conference, and the Celtics have +295 odds to win the NBA title. No other team has odds higher than +800 to win the title.

For Celtics fans who have followed Tatum throughout his career, some might consider his proclamation that the rest of the league “has to come through us” somewhat unusual due to his reserved nature. Anthony did, however, tell Tatum that he wants to see more of those statements from him.

“I want more from you because… you won. You did it,” Anthony said. “Okay, [you] broke the ice, [you’re] “It’s a different experience, and it’s different for a small group of people who have done it. So you position yourself differently. That’s my honest opinion and observation, we want to see you take on more of that ‘I’m here’ role.”

Tatum acknowledged what Anthony was saying. But he said he didn’t want to be inauthentic, even when some criticized him for not being outspoken enough.

“I see it all the time: ‘He’s not vocal enough, he’s not yelling enough, he’s not as loud as the other guys that we like to watch.’ It’s kind of like who I am. I’ve always been a laid-back person,” Tatum said. “I’m not the loudest person in the room. But it was frustrating because I felt like some people would take advantage of that and attack my game. The game and my yelling had nothing to do with it.”

“And I get it. I’m not like Kevin Garnett at all. I loved watching KG play. I loved the [expletive] I speak. But that’s not who I am. I don’t want to be someone I’m not.

Now that he’s won a title, Tatum might have a different opinion of him.

“I always felt like I was one of the best players in the league, especially the last few years. But it was always a debate,” Tatum said. “Now it’s like, [expletive] that. I just won. I did what you said I couldn’t do. So yeah, I’m not in this same conversation anymore. I’m in a different room. I did things that only a few people have ever done.

“So I definitely feel something different because you can’t argue with it. I won. You can’t argue with winning a championship.”