Jayson Tatum helped propel the Boston Celtics to an NBA title with a huge performance in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, and he had a simple message for his critics afterward.
Tatum had 31 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds in Boston’s 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. In an on-court interview after the game, he was asked how the Celtics managed to live up to the huge expectations that surrounded them all season.
Tatum responded by asking, “What they gonna say now?”
“We have a resilient group. We’ve been through a lot as a team over the last couple years, over my seven years,” Tatum said. “What they gonna say now? What they gonna say now?”
Jayson Tatum: "What they gonna say now?!" 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/YBV6FVqEUe
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 18, 2024
Tatum then shared the same phrase in a post on X Tuesday:
What they gone say now https://t.co/LOLNec2cdx
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) June 18, 2024
The five-time All-Star also had a similar message during the Celtics’ afterparty when he quoted a line from Kanye West’s famous Grammy’s speech.
Jayson Tatum dropping a Kayne quote😂
"Everybody was wondering what would happen if we didn't win. I guess we'll never know." pic.twitter.com/buL1pTVRMt
— CelticsMuse (@CelticsMuse) June 18, 2024
The Celtics made it to the NBA Finals two years ago but lost to the Golden State Warriors. Many viewed them as the favorites to win it all last year, but they could not get past the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. That led to questions about whether Tatum, Jaylen Brown and company would ever get over the hump. Those questions have been answered.
Tatum and his teammates clearly did a great job of drawing motivation from the criticism they faced, both real and perceived. Brown even shared a receipt he saved after the Celtics took home the title.
