What makes a good basketball player great? Is it the high scoring? Is it the influence you have on the NBA community? Or it is the ability to lead his team through games and emerge victorious. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has all of those qualities. Despite holding numerous accolades to his name and being a Jordan Brand athlete no less, the player is yet to be given the same respect as some of his other counterparts. For the Boston Celtics head coach, however, his players focusing on attaining the same fame as the other NBA legends shouldn’t be a priority.

Joe Mazzulla participated in a post-game press conference after the Celtics’ 123-105 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. During the Q&A session, a reporter highlighted that Jayson Tatum had made 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 Steals during the game. Despite this, his feat was ignored or didn’t garner much attention. When asked about what this means regarding the player, the Celtics head coach highlighted that mentioning the feat is important. At the same time, however, Mazzulla revealed, “I told him (Tatum) after the game, you did your job. Your job was to score 35 and sit the fourth quarter in a game like this, and he did it, and he was great”. Mazzulla credited the player for finding a “great balance of taking great shots”. Tatum’s aggressiveness in the first quarter, combined with his defensive display, did not miss Mazzulla’s sight.

“To sit here and have him do that and to be the last question of the night just kind of shows how good he is, and, you know, what he does for us. But, he did his job and, he was great in it,” Mazzulla continued.

Jayson Tatum ‘just did his job.’ That, in a way, is a compliment in itself. After all, if your coach sets a 35-point benchmark for you, he has some true faith in your scoring ability. Furthermore, knowing Tatum, everyone can figure that he would seldom disappoint. Especially now, when he is having one of the best runs in the season. Jayson Tatum averaged 23.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in January. He upped the numbers the next month by averaging 28.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. Just by telling that Tatum needs to do ‘his job’, the player is becoming better and better with each game. Joe Mazzulla appreciates this, even if the NBA media allegedly does not.

It is no secret that the Boston Celtics star has allegedly struggled to gain proper recognition in the mainstream media. In the player’s own words, “Sports media is tough. When we lose, it’s my fault. It’s hard to explain that or have other guys on the team understand. Like, nobody can prepare you on how to deal with that”. During the playoffs, Tatum reportedly faced scrutiny when ESPN’s Get Up! questioned whether he was genuinely happy about Jaylen Brown winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP title. Why was this question asked? Well, because speculation had arisen from a smile Tatum gave during Brown’s acceptance. Several people, including JJ Redick, came to Tatum’s defense. The criticism was dismissed as mere “nit-picking.”

Therefore, it is no surprise that even after making 36 points, Tatum is allegedly ignored. Plus, it does not help when renowned names try to highlight what is hidden behind the Celtics star’s scoring.

Colin Cowherd dismissed Jayson Tatum’s stature within the Boston Celtics: “They’re 8 points better without him”

Colin Cowherd recently discussed Jayson Tatum in the latest episode of his ‘The Herd’ show. If anyone believes that the Celtics star should be placed on the same pedestal as some of the greatest scorers of the modern NBA, Cowherd was there to counter their belief. The 61-year-old sports media personality did it by stating, “When Jayson Tatum is out the last two years, the Celtics are not only 10-2, they’re 8 points better without him. So, you’re trying to tell me, he’s Steph. You’re trying to tell me he’s Giannis. You’re trying to tell me he’s Jokic. You are trying to get me to put Tatum in this group with Jokic and Steph and KD and LeBron and the numbers, they’re 10-2 when he doesn’t play”.

It is true that in the absence of players like Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic, their respective teams have not had a good run. The Warriors have gone 6-3 without Steph this season, the Bucks have gone 6-6 without Giannis, and the Nuggets have gone 2-4 without Jokic. However, one must remember that Jayson Tatum plays for the Boston Celtics. The current roster boasts efficient scorers like Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, etc. All three can carry the game without Tatum. Therefore, Colin Cowherd’s remarks could be easily countered. Despite that, it doesn’t change the fact that Cowherd’s remarks were another example of renowned sources not looking to give Tatum his due.

Joe Mazzulla has made things clear. Focus on the ‘job’, and let everything else fall into place. The longer Jayson Tatum maintains his focus, the more his accomplishments cannot be allegedly ignored by the media.