The Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the league this year and arguably the best. Not only is that the case this season or even last season, but for at least the last nine NBA seasons.
The Celtics have been one of the top-tier teams for over a decade, and much of it has to do with their star forward, Jayson Tatum. Tatum is in the eighth season of his career, making the playoffs every single season and going on deep runs.
Tatum has established himself as one of the top players in the league. Yet, at times, he is still underrated or underappreciated. Tatum's former teammate, Gordon Hayward, appeared on FanDuel's Run It Back and pushed back on the notion of Tatum being underappreciated.
"He's had it all from day one, and he's only gotten better."
. @gordonhayward doesn't understand how Jayson Tatum is "underappreciated" 👀
"He's had it all from day one and he's only gotten better."@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/j5aPPgddMM
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 13, 2025
Hayward admitted that he is not up to date on the NBA or the narrative surrounding Tatum at the moment. However, he did add that he believes Tatum has been a great talent since his rookie season.
Gordon was there when Tatum first kicked off his NBA career.
Gordon signed with the Celtics as a free agent in the summer of 2017, prior to Tatum's rookie season. His first season was cut short due to a scary injury that happened to be a fractured tibia and dislocated ankle in his left leg. Gordon's time in Boston did not go as planned.
Nonetheless, Tatum's time in Boston certainly has. The 27-year-old has already established himself as a Celtics great and one of the best players in the game today.
While Gordon was a fine mentor to the young Ttaum at the time, Tatum did note how he was not a fan of the addition of Gordon the summer of his rookie season. The six-time All-Star revealed that he didn't think he would get much play time with Gordon on the roster and wanted out of Boston.
"I get drafted, Gordon Hayward signs with the Celtics. I called my agent, like, 'Yo, I gotta get traded.' I'm in Summer League, before I ever played a game," Tatum said (21:27 mark). "He's like, 'Relax. Just wait it out. You gotta chill.' I'm like, 'Yo, I'm trying to play. I didn't get drafted to come off the bench and not start.' He was like, 'You're in a great organization. They're going to teach you how to play the right way.'"
Several years later, Gordon loves what he has been from Tatum.
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