The Boston Celtics now stand with the most championship wins in the NBA, but did Jayson Tatum & Co get what they deserved for making this happen? Well, at least former NBA star Eddie A Johnson does not believe so. Especially for the two stars of the 2024 championship run — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Johnson believes the consequences of this will make the other teams pay. How so? Here’s what the former NBA star has to say.

During his appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Eddie highlighted how Tatum and Brown did not have the kind of offseason that the NBA champs should’ve had. He mentioned how the offseason for the champions is mostly about celebrating. Something not entirely lived by Tatum or Brown.

Taco Jay played just 17.7 minutes per game through his Olympics run and remained benched for both games against Serbia. Something that Steve Kerr termed a “math problem.” Meanwhile, coming fresh from a championship and an NBA 2K25 cover appearance, Jayson Tatum found the whole thing a “humbling experience.”

Even though he stated he “wasn’t angry at the world,” reactions from the majority section of the NBA community reflected it to be an upsetting matter. And Eddie Johnson believes no differently. Now, the former NBA star does not know if it was something that Tatum said behind the scenes that ticked off Kerr. “… We’ll never know. But still, you know a guy that had the success that he had and has had over the last number of years. He didn’t have a happy offseason man like he should have,” Johnson said.

The former NBA star also pointed out Jaylen Brown’s plight during this offseason. Yes, the NBA community has not entirely forgotten Brown’s Olympics snub. And no, not even JB had issues with Derrick White coming in as Kawhi Leonard’s replacement. His only concern was that since Nike is the sponsor of Team USA and he has been a harsh critic of the brand, it allegedly played a role in him not making it to the Olympics roster.

Whatever the reason may have been, a desired off-season would evade Brown too. Now, Johnson believes that all of this combined could make Celtics return with a certain attitude, which can be an issue for other teams. “… I think they’re gonna come back and say, ‘okay, you all think this maybe was a semi fluke… All right, we’ll see.’ And I think that’s what they’re gonna come back with and I wouldn’t be shocked if they went on a tremendous run again,” the ex-NBA star said. 

Can Jayson Tatum & Co repeat the championship win?

At least former Celtics star Kendrick Perkins, himself, does not see this happening. Ex-NBA star Rashad McCants had a similar take. In fact, he even accused Perk of stealing his take. But as far as the chances of the team going for a championship this year are concerned, there is a bit of a mixed situation.

On one hand, the Celtics haven’t made any huge upgrades, but they haven’t lost any key players either. And with more time to work together, they’re looking stronger as a unit. And let’s not forget their deeper bench—a crucial factor for any championship team. Bleacher Report even ranked their bench second-best in the league.

But here’s the big question—can their stars, after an off season of ups and downs, relive the glory? Boston could be a serious contender.

However, one cannot ignore the issues like Kristaps Porzingis already dealing with an injury. And Al Horford isn’t exactly getting younger. Plus, the Eastern Conference is no joke this season. While the New York Knicks have upgraded their roster with Mikal Bridges and Karl Anthony Towns, the Philadelphia 76ers also seem to have a morale boost after acquiring Paul Georg. But now, Eddie Johnson’s supposed motivation for Jayson Tatum & Co could be something to watch.