Jayson Tatum Dismisses Celtics’ ‘Super Team’ Label, Claiming Narrative Only Rises After Losses

The first game of the second-round playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics saw the former lose by 25 points. The Cavs seemed poised to take the revenge tonight by defeating the Cs 118-94. A 24-point loss for Boston. Jayson Tatum and Co. entered the 2024-25 season as championship contenders and they remain favorites for it.

It hasn’t been easy maintaining their position at the top. Despite a lot of back and forth, the ‘Beantown’ finished the regular season with the best win-loss record and No.1 in the East. Under such circumstances, there isn’t room for error as they move forward in the playoffs. It must be all the stress and responsibilities, but Tatum looked stern post-game.

The 5x All-Star’s words also showed how nothing less than a title is going to satisfy them. “Tatum says the “super team” narrative for the Celtics seems to only apply in losses. He said Boston didn’t win Coach of the Year, didn’t have the MVP, and “only” had two All-Stars,” Cameron Tabatabaie of The Celtics Wire tweeted.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. It seems like Jayson Tatum finds himself in such a situation now. The Boston Celtics have a glorified history going all the way back to 1946. They also hold the most titles in NBA history, tied with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Jays’ era, though, dates back to 2016. In the eighth year now of Jaylen Brown-Tatum’s leadership, a ring is naturally expected from the dynamic duo. So far, they are on the right path. However, one might wonder if the expectations from and for the team might hamper their focus.

Jayson Tatum shows distaste towards NBA postseason honors

When a team showcases remarkable success, there will come to be a narrative. They will be called ‘dangerous’, ‘lethal’, ‘scary’, described as ‘wreaking havoc’, ‘thrashing’, ‘throttling’, and finally, lauded as, you guessed it, a ‘super team’! A term that the Celtics superstar isn’t too fond of right about now.

“You say we’re a super team, but we didn’t get rewarded like we are,” the 5x All-Star said post-game. This is a team that is heavy with talent. This season saw the addition of even more skilled players in Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, and deadline acquisition, Xavier Tillman. So, when mistakes happen, the resulting reactions are bound to be, more or less, over the top, too.

But Tatum couldn’t care less about them. “The world thinks we’re never supposed to lose. We’re supposed to win every game by 25. It’s not gonna be like that all the time… That’s the narrative you might see on TV. We know we’ve got a good team. We’re not perfect. We play the right way more often than not.”

As the 2023 All-Star Game MVP pointed out, this is the second round of the playoffs. They are playing a talented team. The matchups are bound to be tough. So, to expect perfection in every round is simply unrealistic. That said, they aren’t planning on giving up easily. The Cs’ record on the road is 2-0, something they intend to continue.