Jayson Tatum wishes to surpass Larry Bird’s legacy: ‘That’s the guy I’m chasing’

Every athlete feeds off of different factors to keep themselves motivated as they pursue excellence, and some simply aim the highest possible so they can find their best versions while improving their standards. That’s pretty much Jayson Tatum’s mindset right now, as he recently admitted he wishes to become the best Celtics player that ever lived.

The superstar was interviewed this week as the Boston club took on the press as they prepare for this upcoming campaign, and he was asked what exactly drives him to put in the work every day. The NBA champion revealed that he wishes to compete with Lady Bird’s legacy in Massachusetts.

The 26-year-old admitted that he thinks the Boston legend is the best athlete to ever wear the club’s badge. “Larry Bird is the best Celtic to ever wear this uniform, and that’s the guy that I’m chasing,” he assured. “My motivation is to chase the best players to ever play, the best players to ever wear a Celtic uniform.”

Jayson Tatum acknowledges he is chasing Larry Bird for the title of best Celtic ever ☘️ pic.twitter.com/EEqhcPMbC7

— Ball Exclusives (@ballexclusives) September 28, 2024

The truth is, if Tatum continues the path he’s on, he might just surpass Larry’s historic marks. Not only is he still young, the six-foot-eight forward has already earned a Rookie First-Team nod, an All-Star Game MVP, plus five All-Star selections.

Also, not too long ago he contributed to Team USA conquering the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, an award he had already earned four years earlier in Tokyo. Now that he won the league this past June, he’s started to understand that the sky is the limit for him.

“I just always feel like overall, I can still get better. You haven’t seen the best version of Jayson Tatum,” the former Duke emphasized. “And you shouldn’t, right? I’m only 26, I should continue to keep getting better.”

That’s not it, according to an NBA Hall of Famer, he’s got an extra motivation to succeed. “I think Jaylen getting left off the Olympic team and Jayson not playing… They’re the defending champs that’s gonna take their confidence to another level. The NBA found a way to piss both of them off this summer,” Charles Barkley said this month.

Ex-NBA Champion Quinn Cook Explains Why Boston’s Jayson Tatum Is Ready To Win Upcoming Season’s MVP

Jayson Tatum is just coming off his second Olympic Games experience and earned himself a gold medal in Paris alongside superstars like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Even though he wasn’t a usual starter for Team USA, he was still able to contribute in 4-of-6 games of the competition.

Back home he’s an NBA champion with the Celtics, who had reached the league Finals in 2022 (but lost to the Warriors) and then failed last year in the Conference Finals against the Heat. However, Boston’s long process finally paid off with JT as one of their most important leaders.

After this experience in France and learning from some of the best veterans to ever compete in the NBA, many believe that Tatum will grow even stronger and continue to dominate the league. This is why a two-time champion guarantees that the forward will become the tournament’s MVP next campaign

Quinn Cook posted his thoughts on X: “Jayson Tatum will win MVP this season! Three straight All-NBA first teams, winning a gold medal in 2021 while being the 2nd leading scorer on the team and just won his first NBA championship to not playing a minute for team USA 🤔🤔 all the motivation he needs. Look out NBA.”