Justin Tatum, the father of All-Star wing Jayson Tatum, caused up quite a stir recently by calling the Boston Celtics roster “sh*t.”
“Realistically, I might say New York might run it back,” Tatum told the “Ultimate Dads Unplugged” podcast when asked for his early 2027 NBA championship pick.
When cautioned by LaVar Ball not to bet against his son, Justin offered a blunt take.
“Right now, the Celtics roster is sh*t,” added Justin, a former pro turned coach.
“Realistically, I might say New York might run it back… Right now, the Celtics roster is sh*t.”
(Via Ultimate Dads unplugged / h/t @Fullcourtpass )
Boston Celtics Fans Rip Justin Tatum
For what it’s worth, Jaylen Brown’s father, Marselles, picked his son’s team, the Philadelphia 76ers, to win it all, while LaVar Ball similarly backed LaMelo Ball’s Minnesota Timberwolves on the same podcast.
That put Justin in rare company when he bet against his son’s squad, drawing the ire of the passionate Boston Celtics fanbase.
“Imagine how Tatums teammates are feeling bout hearing this,” pondered a Celtics fan.
“One way to get me to tune out of a podcast very quickly is to have that moron yelling about his son,” added one fan.
“Please don’t speak on us,” urged another fan.
Trying to Motivate Jayson Tatum?
Barstool Sports’ Greenie suspects that Justin Tatum made the comments to light a fire under his son, who may be primed to win his first MVP award.
“I could not disagree more with Jayson Tatum’s Dad when it comes to his thoughts/take on the Celts and their roster,” wrote the Celtics fan.
“The spinzone here is that this is just a classic case of a father motivating his son ahead of what should be a monster fully healthy season when you remember how Tatum looked immediately upon returning last year.”
This offseason, the Celtics added Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley, while getting rid of Jaylen Brown and Nikola Vucevic. They also drafted Chris Cenac Jr. and Dillon Mitchell, and locked up Ron Harper Jr., Neemias Queta and Jordan Walsh to long-term deals. All in all, it was a pretty busy offseason for the Celtics, with some analysts viewing them as a sneaky contender to win the East.
ESPN has forecasted Joe Mazzulla’s team to win 48 games and finish as the fifth seed, behind the Knicks (53-29), Pistons (53-29), Cavaliers (51-31) and Sixers (50-32).
“Boston is banking on a full season from Jayson Tatum — the star forward played just 16 games last season after returning from an Achilles tear — and hoping Paul George can stay upright and healthy long enough for coach Joe Mazzulla to work his regular-season magic once again,” wrote Vincent Goodwill.
Boston Celtics Fans React to Jayson Tatum’s Father’s Viral Comments