Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Blasts Critics Of Late NBA Legend
NBA critics are tough. Even the best basketball players have their careers picked apart, from Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
Bryant in particular has received more criticism lately for his shot profile and lack of efficiency during his playing days, especially towards the end of his career.
Bryant had a high shot volume, especially after Shaquille O’Neal’s departure from the Los Angeles Lakers. His shooting splits were not impressive, either, as he settled for a lot of tough long two-pointers, fadeaways and turnarounds.
However, that shouldn’t diminish what a special player and force of nature Bryant was in his prime. The game was different back then, and players and coaches didn’t have the same access to modern analytics.
Accordingly, Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum doesn’t appreciate people smearing Bryant’s legacy, especially now that he’s gone and not around to defend himself anymore.
“I think it’s like, cowardly, to be honest, because they didn’t speak about him like this when he was here,” Tatum said on Tuesday’s episode of Ryan Clark’s “The Pivot” podcast. “Now that Kobe isn’t here, we want to bring up the times where he wasn’t as efficient or he shot long twos.”
Tatum grew up idolizing Bryant and credits him for inspiring him to pursue his dreams of becoming an NBA player. Unfortunately, they never got to face each other, as Bryant retired two years before Tatum debuted.
The two played with similar styles, and it’s clear how much Tatum still respects Bryant and holds him in high regard.
“If you ask anybody that played against him, they all say he was the best player in the league,” Tatum continued. “He was the most terrifying person to guard, and he’s one of the three most influential basketball players of all time.”
Bryant wasn’t a perfect player, but he helped define the NBA for two decades and was one of the greatest hoopers ever.