For the first time in his career, superstar Jayson Tatum has been fully thrust in a leadership position with the Boston Celtics. He and fellow All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown are now the two most tenured members of the club, while the team’s former defacto player-coach Marcus Smart is now a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. Recently Tatum told the Messenger’s Jeff Goodman, however, his leadership style may be more “reserved, quiet, and laid back” than others.
When Tatum first joined the Celtics back in 2017, the team was led by older established All-Stars like Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving. A few years later, it was the fiery head coach Ime Udoka who took the leadership reins in Boston. Tatum has grown into a standard-bearer for Boston, but until this season, he hasn’t yet been charged with serving as the club’s top leader. As he outlined to Goodman, he appears ready for the challenge.
“When I talk,” Tatum explained. “Everybody in that organization is going to listen. And whatever I say is always for the betterment of the team — and my teammates know that.”
During a recent interview, Jayson Tatum noted how the Boston Celtics decision to give Jaylen Brown a supermax contract was a ‘no-brainer.’ https://t.co/QBaksN7ezW
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 7, 2023