Jayson Tatum's stance on 2023-24 Celtics will scare rest of the league

There is no doubt that the Boston Celtics are in Cloud 9 at the moment as they are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and have the best record in the entire association at 43-12. Star Jayson Tatum was interviewed by Malika Andrews of ESPN where he made a bold claim when asked if this current Boston team is better than the squad that made the NBA Finals in 2022.

“Yeah, it is,” Tatum said. “Just because I think I'm better than I was 2 years ago, [Jaylen Brown] is better, [Kristaps Porzingis] makes all the difference in the world, obviously Jrue Holiday, and the way Derrick White has been playing this year compared to two years ago.”

"Yeah, it is. I think I'm better than I was 2 years ago, [Jaylen Brown] is better, [Kristaps Porzingis] makes all the difference in the world, obviously Jrue Holiday."

Jayson Tatum on whether this year's Celtics team is better than the 2022 Finals team.pic.twitter.com/pPoL92Ir7N

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 21, 2024

While fans can say this is obviously bias since he is on the team, there could be some credence to Tatum's point as himself and other players that have been on the team are more developed than ever. Especially Tatum who has become an arguable superstar player as he averages 27.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field.

Then with the additions the Celtics have made this off-season as they added the likes of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis has been huge for the team so far. Them being the favorites to win the championship makes sense, now they just got to prove it as they are tyring to get the bad taste out of their mouths after losing in the conference finals last season to the Miami Heat.

Tatum considers himself the best player in the NBA

Tatum was also asked by Andrews about who the best player in the league might be. He would respond with “myself,” a confident answer that was pointed out by the ESPN host to be different than last season where he said Mikwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. This time around, the 25 year old's answer is different as he explains why he believes it is himself according to Boston.com.

“I have a lot of respect for a lot of guys in the league,” Tatum said. “Giannis for sure, [Nikola] Jokic, obviously he just won [the championship], [Joel] Embiid, guys that have won MVPs, and the list goes on. The league is in a great place. I think about things that I’ve been through — just through my career — things that I’ve accomplished, and yet I haven’t got the ultimate championship. I truly do believe every time I step on the floor, I’m the best player.”

Tatum talks about Boston's past disappointments

There could be some hesitation from general NBA fans of the Celtics chances as despite the elite level of play currently, the Celtics have fallen short multiple times in the playoffs whether it be in the four conference finals or in the one NBA Finals appearance. Tatum acknowledges the hardships, saying that he is a “big believer in everything happens for a reason.”

“I’m a big believer in everything happens for a reason,” Tatum said to Andrews. “Maybe I needed to go through that for something. Haven’t figured that out yet. But it happened, and I’ve grown from it, I’ve learned from it. In a weird way I’m thankful for that experience, as tough as it was, as much as it hurt. I’m thankful that I went through that. I think it’s made me a better person and player since then.”

Tatum's confidence has been put more in display as of recent where it could have been a “quite confidence” as Andrews mentioned to the Duke product. He would tell her that in this point of his career, “I know how badly I want to be one of the best.”