Who better to guide you than the one who has already walked the path you are on? This person for Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum comes as former Celtics icon Paul Pierce. Notably, the two players spent a decent amount of time past summer working out together. Appearing on his show ‘The Truth Lounge’, Pierce was asked the most important thing he wanted Tatum to know during their time together in the gym.
And the former Celtics star had one advice for the 28-year-old about the reality of reaching the top. “I just wanted to… let them know… it’s not easy to win in this league. You know, you gotta wrap your mind around how tough it is, how hard it is to reach the mountain top,” he said. Paul Pierce believes this awareness is important when a player reaches that point where things do not go his way. So that, at that point, he can wrap his mind around iterating, “I should have known it wasn’t going to be handed to me anyway”.
The 2008 NBA champ further stated this process of acceptance helped him during his time. “When I’m in foul trouble in the first half, I’m like, instead of getting frustrated, all right, this is what that is. How can I bounce back from all of that?” he recalled. However, Paul Pierce also laid emphasis on the consistency of a player’s work and not getting bored with the process.
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I asked Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck about Paul PIerce & Jayson Tatum working out together: "is Paul with your young superstar a good thing? the influence?"
Paul: "I tell them, y'all can come with me to the gym, but when we leave the gym, y'all go that way, I'm going this way." 😂 pic.twitter.com/1E0GF7nXOT— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 15, 2024
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It is worth mentioning that Pierce is a big Jayson Tatum supporter. Consider it his understandable favoritism towards the Celtics, where he remained loyal for 15 years, or whatever, but he has time and again praised the 5x All-Star.
Paul Pierce’s praise for the “growth” and “maturity” in Jayson Tatum
It is worth mentioning that in the last season, Tatum averaged his career-high 30.1 points per game. This season the ppg has dropped to 26.1, as it is said that Tatum has focused on coach Joe Mazzulla’s team-first mentality. And his assists rising from 4.6 to 4.9 per game this season are somewhere a reflection of this. Additionally, his field goal percentage has also increased from 46.6 to 47.1, and 3-point percentage from 35 to 37.6.
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Speaking on NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics Pregame Live, Paul Pierce stated how he sees this change as a positive sign. “I’ve seen true growth in Tatum… Last year, he went from a guy that averaged 30 (to a guy) that understands that he doesn’t need 30 to get a win… I see his maturity — he’s more vocal, more of a leader,” Pierce said.
He further mentioned that Jayson Tatum now understands the process and what he has to give in the moment. Now, Paul Pierce’s recent advice for the 28-year-old regarding acceptance could be another layer of growth for him.
