Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum Drops Honest NBA Finals Confession After Statement Win Vs. Dallas Mavericks in Game 1

Despite being at this stage in the past, Tatum has admitted that he still had to deal with a bit of apprehension heading into the series opener. The five-time All-Star made his confession during his post-game press conference after finishing their Game 1 win with 16 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and a steal:

“It felt great,” he said. “To be honest, I was nervous. I ain’t gonna lie, I was nervous in like an anxious way like a little kid. It’s surreal being in the Finals… Getting back to this point and being here is a really big deal.”

Hearing this from Tatum makes it sound like he’s a 30-something veteran who’s been through quite a lot in his career. While the latter might be true, now would be a good time to remind you that this young man is just 26.

As he said, though, Tatum isn’t taking anything for granted. The Celtics failed to defend their Eastern Conference crown last season, and that served as a harsh wake-up call for them.

Now that they’re back, it is clear that Tatum will be doing everything in his power to make sure that they finally get over the hump this time around.