On Thursday, FS1 personality Colin Cowherd riled up Boston sports fans after declaring that Jayson Tatum was not a superstar and that the Boston Celtics “couldn’t hang” with some of the greatest teams in the history of the sport. But if you were expecting him to backtrack on Friday’s edition of The Herd, you would have been sadly mistaken.
After the Celtics’ victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, where the Celtics were without Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday, Cowherd was convinced that Tatum has not been the reason that the Celtics have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and therefore can’t be the “face of the NBA.”
“When Jayson Tatum is out the last two years, the Celtics are not only 10-2, they are eight points better without him. So you are trying to tell me he’s Steph? You are trying to tell me he is Jokic? The team is eight points better when he leaves. In fact, last night is the first time in Celtics history that two guys scored 40-plus points. Tatum and Brown have never done it. So it’s like saying Brock Purdy should be paid like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Mahomes. Jayson Tatum is really good. But the story last night is what they are. They are a masterclass in roster construction because Danny Ainge is a personnel savant and so is Brad Stevens.”
Tatum returned to the lineup for the Celtics on Thursday night after his absence on Wednesday, leading the team with 35 points in a double-digit win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
However, this didn’t change Cowherd’s mind about who Tatum is as a player. On Friday’s edition of The Herd, Cowherd addressed his comments from a day prior and all of the backlash that he has received for said comments, doubling down by saying that he believes Tatum will ultimately be “commonly forgotten” after his eventual retirement.
“We talk about Michael Jordan, he hasn’t played in forever,” said Cowherd. “We talk about Magic and Bird and Dr. J. “You know who we don’t talk about? Tim Duncan, Karl Malone… They are great players. Jayson Tatum is going to retire. Four years later, there will be no Jayson Tatum talk. It doesn’t mean he is not great. You are the ones jamming him into this global, elite group. I’m just saying, the numbers don’t prove it.
“Do you know what his nickname is? NBA Twitter is a thing. And they make up nicknames all the time. This year, they gave seven new players nicknames. I didn’t, I’m just gonna tell you what his nickname was. Tatum’s nickname, ‘The Anomaly.’ Does that sound like it would sell shoes? I think his nickname should be “The Password” because he is commonly forgotten…”
It’s one thing to argue that Tatum may not have the personality to be the face of the NBA. But considering the fact that Tatum is just 27 years of age with likely around 10-plus years of basketball left in his career, it is certainly a bit ridiculous to already declare that Tatum is destined to be a forgotten NBA player.
Not only has Tatum already led the Celtics to an NBA Championship, but he and the Celtics certainly appear set up to contend for many years to come given the strength of their roster currently.
Whether Cowherd wants to admit it or not, being the best player on one of the best teams in the NBA makes you a superstar-caliber player in the eyes of the majority of basketball fans. So at least until Tatum’s play drops off in a major way in the future, Cowherd will certainly be in the minority when it comes to his opinion of the perennial All-Star.