It has been over 10 months since the Celtics won the NBA championship. Call it influence or arrogance, JT in his Mazullaverse self is just built different — no longer are you going to find a fuddy-duddy personality in JT with a frustrating lack of aggression. Case in point, Nov 17, 2024. Curry imitated “We did it” celebration on Dude Perfect, exactly a week before defeating JT’s Celtics. We just wrapped up the All-Star Weekend, and it’s payback time!

While the two are yet to accept this as rivalry, fans expect nothing less. Adding more fuel to this brewing rivalry, the 2025 All-Star Game has actually put Curry and Tatum under the spotlight—accusing the NBA of favoritism.

Despite Charles Barkley‘s Chuck’s Global Stars having the prime players to take on the mantle of the new generation of the NBA, it was Shaquille O’Neal‘s Shaq’s OGs that got the better of them in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. The veteran squad beat Sir Charles’ greenies 41-25 in the final after besting Candace’s Rising Stars 42-35 in the semis. While Curry did steal the spotlight after winning the All-Star MVP for this year’s edition, it’s in the midst of speculative decision-making after Celtics forward Tatum‘s performance went under the radar.

It might seem fair though- Curry is well past his prime, and he was making the new-gen look like mannequins at 36. 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists can only justify his legacy in the sport. But the speculation stems from JT getting overlooked after showing the rest who’s boss. In the final, the Green Mamba led the court in points (15), while also having the joint most rebounds (4) and joint second-most assists (2, most was James Harden with 3) of all that showed up to the Chase Centre.

It got the fans riled up for sure, as social media didn’t hold back when it came to who was the eventual loser of this year’s edition. While Chuck’s team might’ve taken the L on paper, it was actually the NBA who failed to promote the shifts of the deserved ones. Instead, they just showed that they can’t seem to let go of the legacy of the older generation by snubbing Jayson Tatum the 2025 NBA All-Stars MVP.

The biggest news of the night still seems to be the failed appearance of LeBron James, after recusing himself from the game due to a continued left ankle and foot soreness. “I hope to be available Wednesday. I was hoping that it would feel a lot better this morning but it’s not where I want it to be,” said LeBron about his absence. This brings a run of 20 consecutive All-Star starts to an end.

Jayson Tatum’s close circle doesn’t hold back after MVP snub

It’s safe to say that we’ve witnessed one of- if not the greatest generation basketball has to offer. Not just seeing the glory years of the likes of Steph, Bron, and Kyrie Irving– but to see them boss the court with retirement on the horizon. It’s a huge task for the new generation to uphold- and they haven’t disappointed at all. After seeing the long-term consistency of players like JT, Nikola Jokić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, it shows that they’re here to walk the walk. you have to see how the NBA failed to give Tatum the MVP instead.

The hate wasn’t just for the MVP title snub- it was more for the organization of the all-star event as a whole. There’s been a declining traction for the yearly event- and this includes factors like quality, intensity, seriousness, and everything else that makes the sport fun to watch. “It’s just who can run faster, who can hit more 3s; it’s no substance. I think it’s very boring,” says Warriors no. 23 Draymond Green on this year’s all-star game’s format.

The domino effect of the hate is taken over by JT’s close circle as well. To them, his total tally of 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists should’ve been enough to justify an MVP title. Yeah, regular season-wise, it’s whatever, but the Celtics are still gunning for that back-to-back. The real thing is that the NBA just can’t let go of the golden era with guys like Steph. It’s like they’re in denial that their reign’s wrapping up. Even Tatum’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, jumped on the hate train.

There’s no denying that Steph deserved the finals MVP- it’s more of who deserved it more. Jayson Tatum’s on a personal quest to put his name in the history books- and he’s shown more often than not that he’s capable of doing so. It seems that he’ll have to do what he’s been doing the past few years- and do his talking on the hardwood and take the Celtics to championship glory.