Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Sounds Off On Stardom Responsibilities

Jayson Tatum faced another heavy round of criticism for poor shooting performances and a lack of needed scoring when the Boston Celtics watched massive leads slip away in the first two games of the second-round series with the New York Knicks.

The Celtics star met the moment Saturday and helped spark a teamwide revival from beyond the arc at Madison Square Garden in the Game 3 win. Tatum drained 5-of-9 three-point attempts in a 22-point performance in Boston’s victory.

The afternoon marked an improved playoff effort from Tatum, who candidly opened up about the value of managing pressure and criticism during his rather successful Celtics career.

“You understand what comes with being that guy,” Tatum told reporters, per Celtics writer Taylor Snow. “I live a great life. I ain’t gonna lie. I make a lot of money. I take care of my family. I’ve been able to experience a lot of things. You also have to accept what comes with that. I get a lot of praise. I get a lot of credit. I get a lot of accolades. But I’m not perfect. There’s time where I’ve needed to play better. I’ve needed to do more. That’s what comes with being that guy.”

“…It’s the sense of joy that I play with,” Tatum added, per Snow. “Coming into a game with an angry face and mad at the world, that’s not who I am. That’s not when I play my best. … You gotta be the same person when things are going great and when things aren’t going great. You can’t switch up. That’s the character of a good man.”

The Celtics hope to follow Tatum to a win in Game 4 to even up the series Monday night.