“Who do you predict will be the NBA’s next MVP?” Jimmy Fallon nonchalantly asked Jayson Tatum. “Can I say myself?” the Celt replied. Well, that’s quite ambitious! When he won his NBA ring last season with Boston, Big Deuce mentioned he and Brown “didn’t care who got Finals MVP.” However, it seems he has hopped onto the journey of collecting personal accolades and it might be the result of the Paris Olympics situation, where he was criticised for not standing out. But Tatum committing to his personal ambitions might hurt Joe Mazzulla’s new vision, as ex-Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins deep-dived into a past incident to make it clear.

Sharing his thoughts about it on ‘NBA Today,’ Big Perk said, “I get that basketball is a team sport, and I get the championships that helps define a lot of guys’ legacy… But if one individual, if a guy wants to hit and make and accomplish individual accolades, I’m all for it. KG and I, 2009-10, we actually got into a heated battle which almost cost us our relationship.”

Perkins did it himself by becoming “selfish” and pursuing his “personal agenda” after the Celtics’ 2008 championship run. By being selfish, Perkins meant “Seeking or concentrating on one’s own pleasure, advantage or well-being without regard for others.”

In the same way, this might affect the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown relationship if the former actually meant what he said about winning the MVP title. In Big Perk’s case, it affected the team badly and to make matters worse Kevin Garnett suffered a knee injury later in February 2009. Later on, he missed the rest of the season and the postseason. Eventually, the Celts lost in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Orlando Magic. If this happens again, it will ruin the Celtics head coach’s plan for the 2024-25 run.

Jayson Tatum’s outlook might cost the Celtics’ a championship, amidst Joe Mazzulla’s funky ‘animal kingdom’ reference

A couple of days ago, Joe Mazzulla made a remark on the Celts’ ambitions to retain the NBA Championship. However, it seemed he had some issues with the ‘defend a title’ approach, as he said on the Locked on Celtics podcast, “The phrase ‘defending a title’ is a very passive-aggressive term. If you look at the animal kingdom, some of the strongest animals don’t defend, they’re the most aggressive, and they attack the most. Whether you’ve won or haven’t won, your mindset can’t change.”

The implication here from the Boston mastermind was about a fresh start to the new season. Rather than their ‘Championship status’ getting to their heads, that they have to defend their title, they must go for it candidly like they approached last season. “You have to understand what goes into winning and losing, commit to the details on a daily basis, and remain aggressive. You’re not defending something, you’re attacking a new goal,” Mazzulla further added to his ideology.

Moreover, Jayson Tatum’s MVP dream before the season might not aid the team’s vision. An individual run for glory often makes it too difficult to focus on cooperating with teammates and passing the ball at ‘that crucial moment’ which could cost games and points. However, on the other hand, Jayson Tatum wants to win individual trophies for his overall growth. As Daryl Morey mentioned in an LA Times interview (2009), “They all maximize what they think they’re being paid for.”

The team always stands above individual achievements in basketball. However, in a competitive and highly scrutinized environment like the NBA, one has to justify his worth on the court. And it does not happen until one stands out!

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.