Heart of the City | A Jayson Tatum Documentary

one thing about people from St Louis St Louis got the most prideful people ever if you anybody from St Louis and they go out of town they go they don't tell you where they from [Music] [Music] and I grew up with a single mom you know my dad was around but I lived with my mom uh you know they had me I think they were seniors in high school or right like right after they graduated high school so you know they was young and you know growing up in St Louis with you know not having much I remember the nights we didn't have anything to eat and two doors down I remember our neighbor named Donna she fed as many a night I would walk out and I would go over there and I would knock on the door and she'd give us the chicken pot pie and we heat it up and my mom would let me eat the middle of it and she eat the crust on the outside I think just the the way that she raised me never let me make excuses that you know whether the circumstances that ultimately in the real world having that mentality that nobody's going to feel bad for you that you have to go take everything that you want and from a young age from my mom learning that you know I've carried that all the way [Music] even one of my parents ever like were like soft or took it easy on me like they were extremely like tough on me and you know kind of push the limit sometimes but I wouldn't change it because it was what I needed to get to this point Jason Tatum's support system had helped raise him out the mud in St Louis but as much as they had helped him grow up in a tough environment just surviving wasn't enough a young JT already knew he had bigger dreams being in a classroom where kids wanted to be doctors or lawyers because that's what they saw growing up their parents were doctors and lawyers or or nurses or pilots and then I said I want to be an NBA player I want to be the best player in the world and she said you know you need to be more realistic you know that's probably not going to happen and I remember everybody laughing and that was like one of the lowest points because I always already felt you know intimidated going to school I stood out it's like I kind of didn't belong um and then for her to say that and everybody to kind of laugh you know that really that really it crushed me and you know as a eight nine year old kid um and I cried and I never really I'm not an emotional person you know I remember my mom wiping my face and telling me that she told me she was like remember this remember this moment you know never let anybody tell you what you can or can't do I've always had one one dream one goal is to be an NBA and Kobe was talking and he was saying that his whole life you know he put all his eggs in one basket and if you have that mindset that there's no backup there's no plan B there's no backup plan that you would do anything to make that first plan work and I really I took that to heart as soon as I could start watching and remembering like Kobe was he was it for me like I was like Hey I want to be I want to be Kobe and my mom was like no you want to be a player like you want to be in the NBA like Kobe I'm like no like I want to be Kobe I want to wear the fro I want number eight that was like it was I love like he was he was Jordan for me and he was like the reason I started playing basketball I was always I was always better than everybody in my age group in St Louis I was always taller and I remember my first time going to AAU Nationals was in New Orleans in fourth fourth to fifth grade so I was like nine or ten and in my mind at the time I thought I was the best 10 year old in the world like I just thought I was so much better than everybody else and I might have been half as good as everybody else like it was it was such an eye-opener for me and it and it made me realize like I got so far to go to to be as good as those guys or to to reach my ultimate goal my pops was he he was the one who put the ball in my hand uh from as early as I could remember um and you know from three to I was 14 you know he was my coach the person I worked out with yeah um and taught me everything I know you know about the game especially at that age I feel like I missed out on like a father-son relationship like me and my dad only ever went to games or practice and to get haircuts like we didn't go to amusement parks we didn't go to picnics or fishing or like really have father-son talks because it was just all basketball he was extremely tough on me like cussed me out in front of everybody you know embarrassed me humiliate me throw the ball at me just because he wanted in his eyes he wanted for me to be the toughest he wanted me to be the best and that was his way of like if he made me upset I would play better in a sense I did right I would get so upset I would get so angry that I would play better you know he knew I was going to be tall and he didn't want you know somebody that just labeled me as a big man so he wanted me to play the perimeter but you know when you're young everybody just wanted to shoot threes and do flush try to smack the glass so with me you know he wanted me to try to be different you know try to be able to score from everywhere so we were going to gym and you know we would just jab step in the middle of the Jabs up on the wing on one trip to the right one two over to the left to like that was just like all I knew and then I started remember I had YouTube and Kobe was my favorite player and I remember one day he came in the gym and I just started doing like turnaround fade aways but I was like yo that that's my favorite play and I would practice it on on my own until it became a part of my game Drew Hanlon I started working out with him he he was training David Lee and Brad bill at the time he's another St Louis guy when I was in eighth grade and um I think that's when I kind of took a a bigger leap and and my basketball development you know most of my clients when I started working with Jay were Pros or college guys that were going to be pros and so typically I didn't start working with players until they were in high school and so his mom reached out when he was an eighth grader I said you know he's a little bit too young I want to you know get him a little bit older so that he can kind of grasp some of the high level nuances and skills that that I want to cover with him and you know sure enough Brad Beals is you know big brother and I've been working with Brad since he was 13 years old so he shot me a text and was just like hey I'm telling you my little brother Jason is going to be special give him a chance and we got in the gym first time we ever worked out absolutely destroyed him like almost tried to make him pass out uh mom had texted me and was like was pretty cool Jason in the car after the work I was like Mama I know you guys were gonna have to carry me off the floor before I gave up and that's when I knew he had the mentality going into High School my freshman year I was like six three maybe and then over the summer by the time I was a sophomore I was like six seven uh so I think eighth grade to sophomore year I kind of grew so five five six inches you know once I got the high school that's when like I tell people all the time when I after my freshman year high school that's when it hit me they're like damn I like I could make it in the NBA is is more and more reality [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I think being a high school star especially growing up with with social media camera phones was out so I wasn't like a normal high school kid all right [Music] there are a couple high school players that were on my radar and Tatum was one of them he had this like YouTube video called like the god of mid-range or something like that so he I was very aware of who Tatum was foreign 16 I had a car and that's when I started my waking up at 5 45 5 30 coming to the gym at 6 15. I love walking into an empty gym and being the first person to turn the lights on like that that feeling um it's hard to describe because this is like you know this is my life it's always what I've always wanted to do that's what I knew he was going to make it because I didn't have to wake him up but I'm not a morning person you know I joke with him and I'm like listen God didn't raise the sun yet then clearly he don't want me up I don't I'm not getting up when it's still dark outside I didn't have to push him that was something he wanted to do but there was always this idea that somebody was working harder than me or when I wasn't working out somebody else was somebody in New York somebody in L.A there was a handful of times I overslept and those are like the worst days of my high school career of the sense of like I just felt terrible all day my opportunity of my dream may have slipped away and you know I think that level of fear really helped me get to this point Jason's dedication to his craft would only continue to show on the court as by the time he finished his junior year at Chaminade he was already seen as one of the top players in the class of 2016. of course this meant drawing attention from the top college basketball programs across the country and while plenty of schools would try to make a case for Tatum's commitment only one stood out from the rest Duke was like um something that didn't seem attainable like it didn't for me it was like yeah I didn't I didn't hate Duke like you know I I thought it was amazing they had the best players and a great coach but I never was like like Duke never gonna like want me to come there but then I think when I took my visit I was 16 my junior year and just to see the relationship that Coach K had with his players and I got to talk to Jaleel ties Justice Winslow and you know just to see how they talked about Coach when he wasn't around you know just to see how well the players interacted with one another and how they all kind of were like run through a walk with Coach Kate and just hearing the plans that he had for me and you know what my my one year Duke was going to look like um and just hearing it from from his mouth was like kind of the encouragement the validation um especially at 16 I was I remember my hands were sweating I was speechless just listening to him talk and tell it and just it was amazing to to hear how highly he thought of me at only 16. I was sold me I wanted I wanted to commit when I was there and I met my dad and mom was like we only took one visit only a junior high school you know like give the other schools a chance like I mean I know where I want to go in my junior year they won the national championship and like two or three days later after they won Coach K um they flew to my house and I had an in-home visit I haven't coached k at my house was I couldn't believe it like Coach K came to U City like he came to my house like this little house and John Shire and Coach cable was there um and it was right after they won and I was extremely quiet I'm quiet now I was really quiet back then especially around people I didn't really know and I remember when he came they talked about how you know they wanted me to come to Duke and the plans that they had for me in the meeting it was like it was about to be over they were putting their jackets on about to leave and I remember I told my mom and dad was like Mom when they come I'm gonna tell them the whole time I was sitting there sweating like all right I want to say I want to say it but I was so like nervous and I remember my dad he uh Coach K stood up he's like coach before you leave I think Lil Jay want to say something I was like coach I want to come to Duke he was like holy and he was like are you serious I was like yeah I want to come to Duke and then they sat back down and we all like hugged each other and they stayed for like another two hours that was like one of the you know cooler days that you know of my life that was kind of like one of the guys in the class that we knew was a lock for a while just based on some comments that he made and and how fast his recruitment went um and so having a guy like that come to your favorite school is such a fun feeling knowing that they want to be there and they weren't kind of coerced or sold into going there Durham North Carolina a place many c as the embodiment of college basketball whether you love them or love to hate them there's no denying that Duke represents one of the most iconic brands in college sports and it's done so for decades Duke that was like the most fun I ever had in my life um just being a college kid first time away from home um kind of you know got more responsibilities coming like a young man living on your own that was that was new to me and you know I enjoyed it I had fun I would say expectations were probably a little bit higher than I would say they should have been and maybe higher than we would have for a class like that these days and I would say of all the freshmen Jason Tatum blew them out of the water he was he was the guy from day one sidelined with a foot injury early on Tatum would be forced to miss the first eight games of the regular season for recovery but when the highly touted five-star recruit finally made his debut in blue it wouldn't take long to see what all the hype was about with double crossover gets all the way to the Rin for the layup and who just gave a tiny little fake and was able to freeze and go right around her College was so much fun just being at Duke and understanding how much pride and history comes with that Jason Tatum from St Louis Missouri is an outstanding player you can go down into the post he can put the ball in the deck he's got three-point range and he has been really good all-season block being on the center stage every night I feel like every game we played was on TV and the target was always on our back and being in the UNC rivalry Tatum slamming at home for the Blue Devils rejected by Tatum I think the biggest thing with Tatum and it's always been even when he was at Duke was just his the pro style of play that he plays with he talked about a lot growing up and and trying to mirror his game after Kobe Bryant to me it was very similar to that and just the way he went about his business very Pro like I never really thought that like the moan was too big for him Duke struggled a little bit during the season and he always seemed to step up in the big moments I watched a lot of his Duke games in the second half of his Duke season I think he was the best player in college basketball that's here they'll clear the floor who got it Jason Tatum continuing to put on a show I think Raw Talent he's a top five player in Duke history there's not many guys that I would put ahead of of Jason Tatum because just his he was just he could do it all he didn't shoot super well from three that year but you could see that that shot was there you can see in the size and his length that he could take anybody in college really one-on-one in ISO and and get a bucket and that's kind of what um we hadn't seen a lot of that Duke um but now that's kind of where the NBA is going you need to be able to get a bucket you got to go to your one guy and that's kind of what Duke had and Jason Tatum at the time despite not achieving their goal of a national championship Jason Tatum had managed to put together an impressive freshman campaign for the Blue Devils averaging 22 points and seven and a half rebounds on his way to all ACC honors Duke had given Tatum the platform to showcase exactly why he was already being named a top prospect in the upcoming NBA draft and with an opportunity to make his childhood dream a reality JT was left with a big decision to make it was an easy decision because it's like man ever since I was three I was like I wanted to play in the NBA but then it was like once I got the opportunity I actually thought about it for a second like man I like part of me want to come back to Duke and and and try to win a National Championship because I like I really enjoyed my time at Duke that much and the relationship I built with my teammates and like our devil that's real I remember I called coach he was like did you declare yet I was like you know what you want me to stay like do you want me to come back he was like no you gotta go I was like all right you right I make the best decision for me and my family and I at the time I knew that you know I was about to have a I was expecting expecting the Sun so that was the best decision for myself and my family as the 2017 NBA draft quickly approached Tatum would see his name consistently listed as a lock for the top five but with a pair of talented guards and Markel fultz and Lonzo ball also pushing for top spots questions remained about what 19 year old Jason Tatum actually brought to the table my initial thought was there was a high ceiling but we just it was it was hard it was difficult to gauge how close he was to hitting that seal and so I think that's for the most part was the big reason why Markel fultz was the guy you know especially that summer going into the draft um so tayden was on my radar obviously he was on a lot of people's radar but if if I'm being completely honest it's it was it was like 50 50. before the lottery happened I wrote I would take Jason Tatum at two and I don't care who knows it meaning I take Markell fultz at one because he was the consensus number one but Tatum was my second favorite Prospect in that draft because I remember Boston had the number one pick and you know everybody it was kind of like known like the media was saying like Markel was going number one Lonzo was in LA so everybody knew Lonzo was going to the lake I didn't even I didn't even work out for the Lakers because I just knew me and my agent was like it's probably it's gonna be a waste of time like everybody know Lonzo going number two so at the time Philly was three and Phoenix Suns was four so Philly Phoenix and Boston they came I was in LA working out so they came to watch me work out and I remember you know I sat down and talked to him and after I met with them all I remember I was like I think I'm going to Philly like they had the third pick you know I had a good workout and I talked to Brett Brown and everything was cool so I thought I was going to Philly but then I I remember I I went to Phoenix this was a week before the draft I went to Phoenix just to meet with Earl Watson and talk to the to the GM and see the facility I didn't work out I just wanted to go meet with everybody the next day I remember he picked me up he had a white G-Wagon he drove me around and showed me like all the houses where the players live at I remember you come to Phoenix you know UND book like he was like two light-skinned Killers I'm gonna let y'all rock out I'm sitting in the car like man they sound good like yeah like I think I want to come here my agent called me um and I was like I think I had a flight that night to go back home because this was this was not like a week before the draft he was like yo tomorrow you know once you go back to St Louis you know I need you to pack a bag because you're flying in Boston I'm like why I'm going to Boston he like it's not out yet but they're going to trade the first pick and they're gonna give it to Third and they want to see you work out again I'm like no I don't want to go to Boston like I'm I like I like it out here in Phoenix like it's cool the weather nice I get a big house I get a pool my mom's gonna be all right he like he's like Brad Stevens a great young coach and they got a great history I'm like I'm not trying to hear that like I want to go to Phoenix so then he like my agent was like just think about it and then um so we hang up I'm like I'm not going to this workout like I'm cool 15 minutes later Coach K caused me hey what's up coach how you doing be like hey I just spoke to Boston and I think Brad is a great young coach and I think would be a great fit for you you know they're going to trade the pick and they want to see you work out again I think you should go I'm not going to tell coach Kate no so I'm like I'm like all right I go I didn't want to not because I didn't like boss I just didn't think I was going to play or I wasn't going to be able to do what I wanted to do so I remember I that I flew to St Louis that night the next day I flew to Boston for another workout in Boston so that was like this was like three days before the draft I had a good feeling but I they they didn't tell me or my agent that they would want to pick me so I would I had no idea I figured it would be Boston or Phoenix I think I was going three or four what they don't show you is right before they call your name all the cameras run over to the table because they know it was about to get caught and Adam Silver came out and the camera's brand to me he starts talking and they leave and they go to another player's table and I remember my heart dropped I looked at my mom I'm like I'm like why did they just do that they're not gonna pick me and they ran back over and I remember I put my head down and they said with the Third pick and the two 2017 NBA draft the Boston Celtics select Jason Tatum [Applause] it was like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders it was like I was living in a dream and I stood up and I gave my mom the biggest uh I could and I remember I told her I said we did it minus the thought was Danny did it again man like he he pulled this one off because even if Tatum didn't pan out it was worth the risk in my opinion and it's tough to find a superb you know standout Wing never mind someone who obviously evolved into one of the best scores in the NBA like we didn't know that at the time but I like the Celtics uh putting their bet on that instead of going with phone so I was excited it kind of reminded me of being a Duke um you know just so much winning history and tradition and seeing all the banners they got up there and you know all the the media attention uh Duke really you know really prepared me um to go to go to Boston you know everything happened for a reason and it worked out really well after months of preparation the beginning of Jason's rookie season was finally here but as he geared up for his first game as a Celtic even Tatum himself could have never imagined just how his NBA career would begin but I'll paint a picture so uh the hours before his NBA debut I'm in Cleveland and he's getting ready for shooter out he's putting his sneakers on and there isn't a single reporter actually no I was next to him trying to getting ready to ask the question there was no one else near him everybody was near Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward and the reason why I say original I want to paint that picture for everyone is because I just think it's so significant when you think about how everything changed so quickly right fast forward to not even an hour until that game Gordon hayward's hurt you know Celtics fan remember that game for the Hayward injury but if you remember Tatum had 18 against LeBron in his first game as a rookie like if that's not an omen for good things to come I don't know what is honestly I didn't I didn't know how much you know I would play uh just like you said they went to the Eastern Conference Finals the year before we had Kyrie we had Al and Gordon you know he was starting before me I mean I did start the first game because we went small and Cleveland went small unfortunately when Gordon got hurt you never want to see that happen to anybody but you know I think you know I kind of knew in my head that I was going to get opportunity you know to show what I can do [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] are you kidding me right now [Music] I would say Tatum had the benefit um that a lot of top three picks or even top 10 picks don't have that he went into a team in an ecosystem where he wasn't expected to be like the man immediately [Applause] just when you when you first get to the league it's like you you trying to prove a point and prove to everybody that you know you belong and not only belong but that you know you're going to be one of the best players and you know that's the mindset I had from the first game you know as a young player that's really big you know you're trying to make a point and you know let it be known that you deserve to be you know an elite I always said it was like he had the the length and the in the shot the sort of setup is is uh as Durant but like the footwork of Pierce [Music] one of his great moves oh Tatum gorgeous move to the basket in the page for two he was able to transition so easily to the pro level just based on his style of play that obviously was going to come with some some shooting woes just some transitioning to the size and everything like that but the game the shot making that was all there inside you could tell there was something there but you know the physicality was a little much for him he had to bulk up he had to learn the game but as the season went along I mean it was immediately obvious he belonged [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] for someone like Tatum in his rookie season where he wasn't even getting all that much attention I I thought it was um impressive how he was able to hold his own and grow throughout that rookie year having averaged just under 14 points per game as a rookie Tatum would once again be tested in his first NBA season the playoffs meant that Jason would be forced to adjust to the intensity of the postseason and do so as a key member of the League's most historic franchise a roster that was missing its two best players Gordon hayward's out for the year Kyrie Irving's out for the playoffs and nobody was expecting the Celtics to do much [Music] foreign [Music] that might have been like probably the most fun I ever had playing basketball because we kind of was starting to form our own identity that we was going to go into the playoffs and it was weird like we was at 2C but like every nobody thought we was going to beat the Bucks like because we I was I was 19 and JB was in his second year and we had Terry and smart and move we had like a bunch of like underdogs and things like that and that really like that really like boosted our confidence because we had the home court advantage and you know we were just like we we just felt like we had nothing to lose so we we beat the Bucks in seven so then they was like all right you know that was a fluke they're not gonna be they're not gonna beat Philly Philly just I think Philly beat Miami like 4-1 you know before that so they was rolling so they was like they're not gonna be Philly Tatum [Applause] that sixer series is really where kind of the legend of Jason Tatum began and Tatum has the hot hand with seven straight Tatum with a little Smitty goes by because the Sixers were huge favorites as I recall they were like plus 350 so like three to one favorites essentially to win that series and they just had absolutely no answer for Jason Tatum Al Horford and Terry Rozier it just happened so fast I think when I envisioned myself and I was thinking about playing the league was like I don't want to just get there I wanted to be the face I want to be one of the best players and my opportunity came a lot faster than you know I do for a lot of people especially on the biggest stage in the playoffs playing for the Celtics so uh you know I was young we were always young and we was all on rookie deals and we just felt like we had nothing to lose we were supposed to lose and we won the first round we won the second round and now we like oh we about to go to the championship you go against the Cavs LeBron James Kevin Love a great great Cavs team and it's not like Tatum looked lost time out Cavaliers Tatum gets past Nance [Music] scoop lamp is good it's with 67 points with 6 45 remaining Tatum drives down [Music] with the light as I heard the garden that entire night and um obviously the way things ended wasn't ideal for Tatum and Celtics but it gave you that glimpse of man the future future looks bright I was fully aware of what I had just done I had just done like right after the game I remember as soon as the game ended you know everybody especially after the playoffs you dab each other up which the next you know good luck and stuff and I remember I had talked to I talked to Brian for like like a minute like a Ministry we were talking and in that moment I I realized what I had just done how close we were and that that was kind of the like all right I'm gonna be pretty good for a while I think the world realized it LeBron didn't realize that at that point I was 20 years old um and I remember like obviously being upset it was game seven you want to go to the finals but you know I remember like you know I'm gonna be pretty good at this it was in all ways that playoff run and it was sort of like the that dunk on LeBron was the icing on the cake of like his coming out party like this is the dude to watch like he is next up Jason Tatum has arrived much earlier than anyone predicted and that dunk just signified all of it following one of the most impressive rookie playoff runs in recent memory Jason Tatum had done more than just draw the interest of basketball fans around the world he had caught the attention of a legend of the game who just so happened to be his childhood hero he texted me he was like you know keep doing your thing I'm watching you know after the summer after the season you know hit me up anytime you're in La we get some work together I was like I like dropped my phone I couldn't believe it right you know we we met like twice before we actually worked out like went to his office and he showed me around when he was you know writing books and stuff like that and then uh and then we got to work out it was just a surreal moment because just looking at him you know remembering myself when I was a toddler you know just a young kid watching him on TV and be like that's what I want to be like like this is why I love basketball because he inspired me fast forward now I'm 20. I'm having a one-on-one interaction with him working out on like I'm here working out with you because you inspired me without even knowing like easily I mean besides my sunbel boy that's like the best day of my life just to be in a gym with him and and work out with him and and learn some tips was just like I would never forget that day how I felt going into the workout how I felt afterwards I just felt like that was just like the coolest thing ever for me and like I never forget that after a subpar second NBA season which saw Boston battling internal conflict as well as Tatum learning through the growing pains that often come with a sophomore campaign the 2019-2020 season signaled a new opportunity and it was time for Jason and the Celtics to once again return to contention in the East going in my third season uh you know it was coming off a down year where we lost in the second round we had so many expectations and everything went South and for me you know I felt like I felt like this was my last opportunity because I didn't make the I didn't make the All-Star Game my second year and I was like I like I got to make that next jump so I can be that that go-to guy that star like you know make that leap in my third year so that was that was a big Focus for me you know I have to be so much better you know we we have to be better as a team you know I got to make the All-Star Game you know for for people to still kind of look at me as he still can be one of those guys so and I just have to look at you know what I was doing on and off on the court um how can I make the game easier for myself to kind of take that next step so you enter this third season where you don't really know where this team is going we issue Kyrie for Kemba Walker who from a Vibes perspective is like the biggest Step Up of all step ups and the first half of that year the team was pretty good like they weren't bad Tatum looked okay uh you know not okay he looked good I think he was averaged just under 20 slightly inefficient um and then January hit it was weird because I felt like on the inside I'm very confident I feel like you know I can compete with anybody but there was also a part of me like I can't say I'm one of the best because I didn't make the All-Star team and there's like a stat I guess I was averaging like 29 or 30 after I was named in All-Star and it was ironically enough like one shot once I found out I made it it kind of was like damn like I'm not at that level yet but it's like I I belong and all of a sudden he just started making every pull-up he took it felt like [Applause] [Music] I think he had like 40 um against the Clippers he just had this like absurd February where it was averaging like high 20s on insane efficiency and at that point it was like oh the Celtics have themselves a superstar [Applause] step back three they have only one win that smooth and then the season ended because because of covid the NBA has suspended its basketball season until further notice after a member of the Utah Jazz tested positive for the coronavirus but starting tomorrow NBA play is suspended and then the league is going to use that Hiatus to decide their next steps how they'll go forward the covid-19 pandemic would put a halt to the NBA season and the world for the next several months but as the idea for a bubble season in Orlando Florida surfaced Tatum and the Celtics would be given the opportunity to continue their pursuit of an NBA championship Tatum for three that's good now he's down to 10 in the shot clock pulls up for three Jason's way up by seven with the ball Tatum goodness I think the bubble was a significant point in his career um just the fact that he put together one of those performances that essentially pushed the Celtics through to the Eastern Conference Finals I think that was a part that's something that um he had to do to feel like okay now this is my team when the playoffs start you're thinking like well I think this team's really good but I'm not sure how good they are and then it's just sort of the next step in the evolution of Tatum becoming a superstar he offers 25 10 and 5 in that bubble playoff run which I don't think people talk about enough like that's an absurd stat line for like a 21-22 year old on good efficiency while playing good defense and being the best player on a team that makes the Eastern Conference Finals I feel like that was the first move that was the first um post-season run where Tatum was was uh returning to becoming one of the uh the pillars of the team in no longer the uh the young Prospect who's um pulls back three-pointer puts it in and the Celtics regain the league time deep three from Tatum yes JT muddy Olynyk on Tatum step back three delivering I think that that that third season is really when um he solidified himself as like this is the like one of the next superstars of the NBA because it's one thing to be like an All-Star right it's one thing to be Karl Anthony towns it's another thing to be Kevin Durant and that was the first instance where we're like this guy might be an all-nba guy never mind an All-Star and that's a really big jump [Music] while the NBA would attempt a return to normal for the 2021 season the shortened off season paired with Boston's deep playoff run would result in disappointment for the Celtics the following year I think that year was actually one of the best things that ever could have happened to Jason Tatum because he had never really tasted failure his biggest failure was losing in the second round so like sometimes you need to fail to become the best version of yourself and that 21 year is when he got a taste of that and that's it it's the end of the line for the Boston Celtics as the Brooklyn Nets will advance to round two that's short off-season going right into the next season and the grueling like four games in one week that everybody was going through but I just feel like it it affected the Celtics at another level when you think about how deep they went into the playoffs and Kemba Walker was just a shell of himself at that point and um I just thought it was a tough season for Brad Stevens um it just seemed like he had lost his voice in that locker room and that happens you know it's not about uh no he did something wrong it's just after a certain amount of years and uh lack of getting to that next level um that happens in the NBA I mean these guys make a lot of money and you know they um they spent a lot of time with each other and then to have like what was like a three-week four-week off season to get themselves back on track it was it was tough it was just too much for them to bear from every time you lose it's a lot to learn from his small little wins or lessons that you can take and um I just I felt like you know obviously we we had nothing to lose you know everybody expected them to win and go all the way so you know let's take it one game at a time let's make it tough for him and we tried um you know we we won game three I had 50 and game four I had 40 something but we lost um but just knowing that Katie and James and Kyrie was out there and you know them three of the best players in the world and you know regardless how old I am I want to go out there and say you know I'm saying I'm I'm up there with y'all I think the loss motivated Tatum in particular because um he is he had never that never hadn't happened to him at that point right he said he's used to making deep playoff runs or at least getting into the second round I think he was supremely motivated um to come into the next season establish himself as a superstar because there were still questions so sort of the narrative flipped in a lot of ways about like wow he can't drag you know he's not good enough to bring a team even in the second round now like what's wrong with Tatum so I think that really motivated and drove him to focus on being strong enough to get to the rim and finish and playing defense because when he comes out the next season he does both of those things at a much higher level than he ever did in his entire career I think you can't you can't talk about the the 22 season without talking about the coaching change after spending 18 seasons in the Boston front office Danny Ainge stepped down as president of basketball Ops and Brad Stevens after eight seasons as head coach moves from the bench into Angel's room the Boston Celtics they've hired a new head coach IMEI udoka a former NBA player turned assistant coach Brad Stevens had been the coach of the Celtics for I think seven years at that point he had instilled a certain identity in the team and I think he was one of the first to realize that identity wasn't fitting the current roster bringing in image udoka there was there was no longer that Premiere or that perennial All-Star um that was looked to be a level above Tatum right at the time udoku was exactly what he needed you know he was a hard ass who's going to expect everything from Tatum on both ends of the floor it was a shock to me you know I had no idea you know the coaching changes was going to be what it was especially you know the day after the season ended for us still a little weird seeing Brad around and he's not the coach anymore and I think that's what I'm starting to realize that change happens a lot in the NBA is it is a business and I have um even more responsibility each year more so from being like the guy I think being more vocal being more of a leader is not just all about you know on the court stuff and I'm figuring that out and it's something that I'm working at as I get more mature as I get older more comfortable in what I'm doing I'm just bringing others together the first half of the Season you saw some Sparks uh they had they were playing some of the best defense in the league in November but Tatum was leading offensively he was getting to the rim more often clearly he had made it a point to get to the rimmore and he was defending more than he ever had in his entire career and then he goes out diagnosed with his second stint of covet in the past year Jason Tatum would be sidelined for nearly two weeks in the middle of the Season capping off a disappointing month of December that saw the Celtics lose nine of their 15 games expectations in Boston had grown significantly for Tatum Jalen Brown and the rest of the roster heading into the 2022 season as the Clock Was ticking on an anticipated Championship run now for one of the first times in his career the accusations had begun to point at Jason I was 23 playing for the biggest franchise in the NBA with the expectations of being the best player being the best leader being the best teammate and being a guy that can take a team to a championship the doubt came from you know you worked so hard to get to this point and you worked so hard to be the best player you can be and everybody's been there where it's like it's just not going how you thought it would go and that can be a little discouraging sometimes because everything that I have I'm giving it to this game and my team and we were like four games under 500 and it was just like the toughest start to a season that I've had and you know I think part of our profession is like being honest and being candid of like you know there are times where I doubt myself you know you think about can I be the best player on a championship team um because not many guys can you know it's only the best of the best of the best but that's what I aspire to be Boston media the Boston fans Kendrick Perkins everybody was talking about should you break up the Jays you know I didn't feel like it made sense at the time because we've been in the playoffs every year when the Commerce finals three times tough times and uncomfortable situations bring people closer together and obviously you know the guy's gonna look to us for a lot of different things and you know you know he's got to be that much more together and closer you know with everything going on Until That season he was never in the headlines you know being called out as to being questioned as a star right and that was the season that was starting to happen because there was no more oh well they're being Guided by Kyrie and there was no more oh well he's too young you know it was like well no I think this is the time now you know you're giving him the keys to guide this team um we're gonna we're gonna just like we we give him his flowers but he's doing well we're gonna criticize him when he's not doing well and I think that was the first year where he got a lot of criticism um that he wasn't used to but he handled his own and he uh he adapted and he he uh he responded in a big way I'm big on like figuring it out right in my mind it's like what's the point of me throwing my problems on other people yeah everybody has their own problems right and I you know growing up my idea of being a man was figuring it out right you know nobody's gonna feel bad for you know his body's gonna help you out you have to have the mindset of like I need to figure this out I need to get it done they sort of galvanized around his return they start playing defense in fact from January to the end of the season they that they're one of the best defenses of all time and the offense really flows from that but he has a 7-6 wingspan that's a man's chance [Music] [Applause] that second half of the Season it like solidified the fact that Jason Tatum can lead a team an elite team I just think he started doing things that um leaders do right um I feel like he was holding himself accountable he would go out and um not in a vocal way but I feel like he led by example and you know for a big chunk of that I feel like was um what the head coach did and sense of holding these guys accountable doing things that Brad Stevens would never do you know um and I think Tatum respected that I think he wanted a coach like that putting together the most impressive season of his young career Jason Tatum would average a then career-high 26.9 points per game being named to his first all-nba first team selection and leading Boston to the number two seed in the East the Celtics had rallied around their young star down the stretch and were now faced with a familiar opponent in round one of the playoffs however this year Boston was determined to put the NBA on notice [Applause] potato sees it takes it makes it [Music] Celtics have a timeout decide not to use it here around the drive Jalen Brown kicks it out smart fakes [Music] [Applause] [Music] I've arrived I think that's the best way to put it um fittingly a four game sweep against the Nets against Kyrie Irving against Kevin Durant arguably one of the greatest scorers of all time I think that's the best way to put it I've arrived I'm not the same kid that was looking for guidance and buy your locker and trying to catch up you know I'm the guy who's trying to take you down you know yeah you got that one last year but I got bigger things to I got we got bigger fish to fry this year we got a brand new coach um we we got the keys to the to the to the city or key to the car right I mean they're leading that team and um I felt like they were like well we're gonna get it right this time and I think that first round series was the was a great way for him to to kick that off that uh that I'm here now you know um playoff type of run I mean we knew he was a star but I I think that was at the moment where we knew this kid can can he he has it he has enough to guide this team to a to a championship they go into the seven game war with the Milwaukee Bucks Williams Stout defense threw it to himself he's eviscerating the Celtics in 24. smart looking Tatum catches Tatum shoots Tatum scores as a shot clock expires and I think probably the crowning moment of Tatum's entire career is the Celtics cough up game five at home and then you're down 3-2 going into Milwaukee and what you need is your Superstar to pick your team up in will them to Victory back six on the shot clock Tatum step back three-pointer that's good Jason Tatum with a masterpiece tonight Hayden's got to put it up step back three-pointer Jason Taylor from downtown playing physical with Tatum Tatum on the drive lays it in and the foul Tatum tried to slam it somebody got a piece of it and Jason Tatum with a chance for a three-point play and I I will say you know before that point I think you could have made the argument like Tatum's never really got there when you kind of slay the dragon where Giannis is regularly recognized as the best player in the NBA at the time you go into his house you save the team season Tatum and the Celtics had made a statement in the first two rounds but once again waiting in the Conference Finals was the team who had eliminated Boston just two years prior as Jimmy Butler in the Miami Heat were also on the hunt for the Larry O'Brien Trophy and they would give Boston a fight from the opening too you know he has to go to war with Jimmy Butler back and forth for seven games probably one of the most exhausted it was an exhausting series to watch for a fan I cannot imagine how exhausting it was to play [Applause] obviously it goes without saying but without him that team does not make it out of that Milwaukee series never mind makes their way to the finals thank you finally having broken through to the NBA finals after having reached the Conference Finals three times in his first five seasons Jason Tatum and the Celtics would embrace the opportunity to bring a championship back to the city of Boston on the other side the Golden State Warriors had once again climbed back to the top of the West marking their sixth appearance on the game's biggest stage in less than a decade both teams had put together strong postseason runs but it was the less experienced Celtics who would look to strike first foreign [Music] [Applause] run for Boston Brown on the Baseline Horford inside held it in one the Celtics take game one of the 2022 NBA Finals game one was like a fever dream and they kind of run the Warriors out of the gym in that fourth quarter and it's like whoa wait a second there's something here right I mean one could argue what went right game one and what went wrong uh game one thing the false sense of who the Golden State Warriors are there wasn't a single player on that Celtics team that had ever played in the NBA finals and I think the fact that they somewhat overachieved right the way they were scoring and how many three pointers everyone had in that game one gave them a false identity as to just how dominant the Warriors are one and two how long an NBA final series truly is in the Warriors could speak can attest to that better than anybody out Curry along three that's good Steph Curry from way downtown and um they use it to their advantage Draymond Green did so getting in people's ears um pushing the right buttons I feel like I think made it made an impact um and then Steph Curry putting together the best NBA final appearance he ever he's ever had in his career you know was uh was the cherry on top was was what took that serious um you know into a blowout fashion in that last game in game six and the fact that the stuff that just didn't have you know any way to to combat that um when you look at their roster and sense of experience but also um I just felt like guys like Taylor and brown uh or more so Tatum maybe they were a bit fatigued the undercurrent of all that is that Tatum can't make a layup like the entire time and it would hold true for the entire series is that like every time Tatum tried to drive into traffic or get to the rim he couldn't make a layup he couldn't hold on to the ball I mean I I he kind of shrunk in the moment in a lot of ways in that final series I think he ended up shooting like mid-30s or high 30s from the field and it was just like those last three games were a nightmare I bet he still thinks about it after going up 2-1 on Golden State to begin the series the Celtic struggles would catch up to them in six games with the Stephen Curry LED Warriors putting together an impressive comeback to secure the franchise's seventh championship it was just like the highest of highs where everything seems like it's going right and then the ultimate Crash and Burn where you just get like taught a lesson by this better veteran team I mean I was miserable I never got my heart broken but I can imagine if somebody got their heart broken I got home I didn't want to eat I was mad I was upset I was exhausted and you literally just I just stared at the ceiling for hours until I fell asleep you know worked so hard and the kind of up and down season that we had to turn it around you know be one of the best teams and get to the finals and not get over that hump uh and you know the day after you wake up it's like waking up from a bad dream and realizing that you know you're not dreaming that you actually you know you lost you know Tatum is like I think a pretty like chill low-key guy for the most part and he just disappeared for a while he kind of did the Dirk when they lost to the wheat We Believe Warriors like Dirk just like went to an abandoned island or something like that like he just went completely off the radar and Tatum did that you know normally every Father's Day we go out the country I take this somewhere we just don't relax uh and it took some convention um you know because I didn't want to leave the house but a couple of days um but you know I was glad glad I did and I think that's the best part about being a dad is takes your mind off things you know going out the country around he's four at the time so he doesn't really know or um for like a better words care that we just lost you know he wants me to help him build a sand castle and go swimming with him and then a month or two after Tatum resurfaced and he was just like I can't stop thinking about this I cannot stop thinking about that loss and you just knew this guy like every time he lays down a bed and every time he wakes up the first thing he's thinking about is losing to the Warriors you know I know what it took to get to the finals you know and I know how much more it takes to get over that home I need for my summer to be different than it was last year the year before that I need to prepare it better uh you know I hired a chef I started to eat better you know started working on my body even more than I previously was because I knew you know planned until June you know your body has to be prepared for that so this summer I was clear about you know what I was trying to do and what I wanted to feel like the 2023 season has seen Jason Tatum take on the next level of his Evolution on the court After experiencing the ultimate level of defeat in the previous finals he and the Celtics have responded in a way that signifies one thing they're hungry for another shot at the championship you've heard Horford gave interviews going into this season about Jason Tatum and just saying like he's leading a lot more his voice has become louder in the locker room I more so approach the season is that you know I just want to play at an MVP level which you know that means that you know I'm playing one of the best players playing efficiently both ends of the ball and we're winning but we got one of the best records and we don't basically get back to where we were and you know that we remember how we felt when we came up short and that you know we'll do whatever it takes feel that way again [Applause] [Music] Tatum on the cut takes it all the way away [Applause] it's incredible it's surreal I mean I made a joke with a um one of my colleagues Bobby Manning about how man it seems like every two three months he's got he's breaking a new record good ball fake one more [Applause] [Music] I mean he's putting together these 40 plus Point performances draining five six three pointers in one night I mean it's incredible when he's on he's dangerous to Unstoppable he keeps defenses on their toes just because he's so good at everything right like he's not Elite at any one thing but there's something to be said about being good at every single skill [Music] [Applause] [Applause] are you kidding me just like that constant Improvement that we've seen and now he's averaging over 30 points a game he's almost averaging a double double the last time I checked and so um is something that you want to see as a fan I'm sure as a Celtics fan you want to see your your stars that you draft in the first round continuously improve and somebody who's improved all three of those major stats like that's crazy impressive not a lot of guys do that the fact that he has his eyes on sort of the the long-term goal as opposed to the short-term goal I think is the biggest thing for him he's identified what he needs to do to win at the highest level and he's really executed that this season Jason Tatum's Legacy in the game of basketball is still being written each day and with the Celtics making yearly playoff pushes there are countless accolades and moments left to be witnessed by basketball fans across the world but as we look back at his journey so far and then look at what may be in his future it's clear that he's already well on his way to being one of the most talented players the game has ever seen in fact if you ask the city of Boston there's only one thing missing you cannot be in the pantheon of Celtics greats if you do not win a title at least one pierce is up there and he's the only guy with just one in the city it's a championship I mean that's that changes everything that that puts you up I mean they'll put they'll put your jersey in the Wrath is after one you know what I mean I think with the way the team is constructed I think you know he's already reading the game at a high level he's gonna read the game at an even higher level and at some point I do believe he's gonna win a title I do think that's inevitable it's just a matter of when it could be this year I have a really good feeling that it is this year but you never know I'm gonna be as competitive like that but I do think it's inevitable that he will capture a title for the Celtics but um in terms of when that happens it really is up to Tatum [Music] [Music] thank you [Music]

Channel: Trice

Views: 190,272

Keywords: Jayson Tatum, Jayson Tatum highlights, Jayson Tatum top plays, Jayson Tatum Celtics, nba, documentary, sports documentary, Jayson Tatum documentary, Jayson Tatum dunk, Boston Celtics, NBA playoffs, jayson tatum interview, jayson tatum mix, jayson tatum shoes, basketball documentary, short film, duke, Duke basketball, Duke Blue Devils, Jayson Tatum game winner, Jayson Tatum son, Boston Celtics playoffs, NBA Finals, NBA Draft, Trice, basketball, jayson tatum highlights

Id: 9ZzMlux_F2s

Length: 67min 48sec (4068 seconds)

Published: Sat May 06 2023