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BOSTON — Winning a championship is plenty of fun. Spending the entire next season warding off hungry contenders and upstart teams eager for an upset isn't as fun. In fact, it can be downright grueling. However, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum doesn't view his squad's title defense that way.
The reigning NBA champion has actually relished the 82-game gauntlet that comes with chasing back-to-back rings. Following the Celtics' penultimate contest of the 2024-25 regular season, which resulted in a 130-94 blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, Tatum explained how Boston's title defense has been an enjoyable, shared effort.
“It's been a lot of fun, honestly,” he revealed. “This year, bringing everybody back besides Oshae [Brissett], we have such a joy and a connection with each other.”
Jayson Tatum said this season’s title defense has been special for him:
“It's been a lot of fun, honestly, this year, you know, bringing everybody back besides Oshae, we have such a joy and a connection with each other…I can say that everybody has felt valued.” pic.twitter.com/KsucKpn7FY
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) April 12, 2025
After the Celtics raised their 18th banner in franchise history, they immediately got to work by returning all their starters and maintaining nearly every other part of their championship roster in the offseason. This continuity has improved the Celtics' chemistry and helped foster a palpable feeling of trust in the locker room.
“With one game left in the [regular] season, I can say that everybody has felt valued,” Tatum stated. “Everybody has played a part in our success this season. Everybody understands the common goal that we share. We know who we are. We know who we are individually. We know what we bring to this team to make it what it is.”
How have the Celtics handled the long journey back to the playoffs?
Every member of the C's should feel valued. Due to rest and untimely injuries and illnesses, Boston has had to plug different guys into the starting lineup on what seems like a nightly basis. Of the 18 players who've logged minutes for the Celtics this season, 15 have started at least one game. And in the last seven games, Boston has employed six different starting lineups.
While this rotation variation would throw off some teams, the Celtics have thrived. They even reached 60 wins with their drubbing of the Hornets, marking the first time Boston has put together consecutive 60-win seasons since the 2007-08 and 2008-09 campaigns.
After a brutal loss to the Houston Rockets in late January, the Celtics fell to 32-15. A 60-win season wasn't being talked about.
The Celtics proceeded to go 28-6 and reach 60 wins with one game to spare. pic.twitter.com/jKHbB4mzq5
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) April 12, 2025
“We have so much fun doing what we do,” Tatum said. “You realize when you're on special teams and with special guys, you just try to cherish those moments. The season goes by fast, but it's been a fun one so far.”
Defending champions occasionally overlook the regular season, hoping to speed through the 82-game haul on the way to the postseason. Yet, that's not how the Celtics have approached things. They've appreciated every moment together and are proud of their success during the preamble to the playoffs.
“Another incredible season,” Tatum recounted. “Obviously the goal is to compete for championships, but I think enjoying the process along the way and chreshing those small wins, per se, acknowledging that we had another incredible regular season — [it's] something to be proud of for sure.”
Although the Celtics' current 60-21 record will reset for the first round of the playoffs, they'll carry the pride that stems from that impressive body of work with them. But where will they take it?
On Tuesday, the winner of the Play-In Tournament opener between the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic will earn the seventh seed and punch their ticket to a first-round showdown with the second-place Celtics.
The Hawks and Magic were two of the only four teams to win their season series against the Green Team. As for past postseasons, Boston won its last playoff series against Atlanta in 2023 and versus Orlando all the way back in 2010.
No matter the opponent, the Celtics will close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon with a rematch against the Hornets and then mentally and physically prepare for the next threat to their quest for back-to-back championships.
“Now [we're] just kind of shifting gears,” Tatum said of the approaching playoffs. “And getting our minds and our bodies ready for what's to come.”
