Getty Jayson Tatum, All-Star, Boston Celtics
When you’re an NBA All-Star there are probably not many things that leave you speechless, but Jayson Tatum came pretty close on Saturday, February 20.
All-Star weekend is a celebration. Former greats fill the stands, conversing with old foes and friends alike, while the new generation struts their stuff on the hardwood, smiles stretching from ear to ear.
For most of these players, being an All-Star is the stuff of dreams, a moment to relish as their childhood aspirations come true. Of course, the media circus does a fantastic job of covering every angle of the NBA’s prestigious event, and that means there are plenty of photo opportunities.
Usually, current and former players have their photographs taken separately, but for some reason Tatum found himself standing next to some of the Boston Celtics greatest ever players in what could eventually become a very prophetic picture.
“They were doing their pictures upstairs and that was the same time we were taking ours, I just happened to be right there. I was talking to Kevin McHale and then Paul came up, and then KG came up and it was like alright we’ve gotta get a picture,” Tatum said.
Tatum Speaks of Incredible Moment
Standing alongside Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, Tatum cut a youthful figure, and judging by his pose, potentially felt a little uncomfortable being snapped with so many legends around him.
“That was incredible, I felt like I didn’t belong in that picture. With all that they’ve accomplished, and what they mean to the game, especially to the Celtics. That was my first-time meeting Parish, I know the other guys well. And just being in that picture with them, that was special, something I want to frame and remember forever,” Tatum told the media following the All-Star game.
While Tatum’s standing in Celtics history may not match those of his illustrious contemporaries, there’s every chance that he reaches their giddy heights in the coming years, assuming he remains in Boston long-term.
Tatum Planning to Accomplish ‘Special Things’
Both Pierce and Garnett were pillars of the last Celtics team to lift a championship, and before the current season is over, both will have their jerseys hanging from the rafters. Of course, the other two people in that photograph, McHale, and Parish, also have their jerseys hanging over the TD Garden Parquet.
Garnett’s retirement ceremony is scheduled for March 13 during a game between the Celtics and Dallas Mavericks and will be a joyous occasion. But Tatum, who has grandiose ideas for his own career will be watching on from the sidelines, absorbing the atmosphere and hoping that he will one day be in a similar position.
“Who wouldn’t want their number retired? I feel like everybody should aspire to have their number retired to the rafters. Because ultimately, that means you accomplished something special. And hopefully, I can be around long enough, and accomplish a lot of special things. I ain’t really thought about it much, I’m more about being in the moment, but that would be incredible,” Tatum said.
One would hope that being surrounded by such illustrious alumni will only serve to spur Tatum onto achieving new heights and that it illustrates exactly what is possible when you play for the city of Boston. And hopefully, he will look back on that picture when it’s all said and done, and feel like he belongs among those greats.