"What they gonna say now?" - Jayson Tatum calls out critics after lifting Celtics to 18th title win
Jayson Tatum called out all of his critics after the Boston Celtics won their 18th NBA championship on Monday night. The Celtics dominated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 to win their first title since 2008. Tatum had a near triple-double to help Boston finally get over the hump after several years of disappointment.
In his postgame interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters, Tatum shared his feelings about winning his first ring and how surreal it was. He also had a question for all of his haters online who have been bashing him over the years for not getting the job done when the Celtics needed him the most.
"First of all, God is the greatest. Not cause we won but he put me in a position to maximize my God-given abilities, to surround me with these guys, my family. This is an incredible feeling. ... It's been a long journey. We have a resilient group. We've been through a lot over the last couple of years, over my seven years (in Boston). What they gonna say now? What they gonna say now?!" Tatum said.
There were a lot of doubters ahead of the NBA Finals even though the Boston Celtics were the best team in the league during the regular season. The Celtics also had an easy route to the championship with injuries to the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers.
Some critics pointed out that the Celtics didn't face adversity, so the Dallas Mavericks had the advantage. However, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the team proved everyone wrong.
Tatum got out of his slump, Brown was the MVP of the series, Jrue Holiday was the difference-maker and Kristaps Porzingis was impactful in limited minutes. Derrick White remained an underrated but important piece of the championship team.
It was a great team effort from the best team in basketball as they lifted the championship in front of their home crowd. The Celtics also moved ahead of rivals LA Lakers for the most titles ever, which makes it even sweeter for the city of Boston.
Jayson Tatum near triple-double leads Celtics to 18th title
Jayson Tatum saved his best for last with 31 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists in Game 5. It was his best game of the series, but that was not enough to win the NBA Finals MVP. However, Tatum likely doesn't care about the accolade since the Boston Celtics won the championship.
Jaylen Brown, who won the Bill Russell MVP trophy, finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Jrue Holiday added 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, while Derrick White contributed 14 points and eight rebounds.