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Celtics' Jayson Tatum gives honest thoughts on being underrated
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Celtics' Jayson Tatum gives honest thoughts on being underrated

By Adam Taylor  |  Last updated Sep 23, 2025 2:11 PM ET

This time last summer, Jayson Tatum was adding another Olympic gold medal to his collection. He was part of the Team USA roster that secured a top finish in the Paris Olympics. However, for Tatum, that victory was likely bittersweet, as he'd struggled to earn minutes under Steve Kerr and also had multiple games where he didn't feature in the rotation.

Tatum is a four-time All-NBA First Team selection. He's an NBA champion, a six-time All-Star and and has finished in the top six of MVP voting for the past four seasons. It made no sense for him to be at the bottom of Kerr's rotation. 

Yet, that Olympic run opened up an entire debate regarding Tatum's skill set and his standing within the NBA. So much so that Boston Celtics fans became convinced that Tatum was being underrated by the media. 

During a Sept. 23 episode of ESPN's "First Take," the St. Louis native shared his thoughts on whether he's an underrated talent in the NBA.

“I'm certain I'm not the only person that feels like they don't get enough credit, I think that's just the nature of being one of the best players in the NBA," Tatum said. "…I know there's a lot of fans out there that appreciate what I do."

Unfortunately for Tatum, he will be unable to continue proving himself in the near future. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks. Therefore, he will likely miss a significant portion of the upcoming campaign. 

Jayson Tatum has a support network in place

Tatum wasn't the only high-level NBA star to suffer an Achilles injury last season. Damian Lillard, Tyrese Haliburton and Dejounte Murray were all struck down by the same problem. 

During the same appearance on "First Take," Tatum revealed that the four stars have been keeping in touch and sharing information regarding their rehab programs and where they stand with their overall recovery. 

"We have all been in communication, Dejounte Murray, Dame and Tyrese — that I've talked to throughout — and it all happened this season," Tatum said. "We're all at different points in our rehab and recovery. So it's less about like, you know, when are you coming back? I text Dame and Dejounte all the time because they're ahead of me. Like, 'What are you doing now? What are your workouts looking like now?' So we're all just all, you know, in the same boat, just kind of checking up on each other and keeping in touch. You know, it's been very helpful."

Tatum clearly has a solid support system in place, not only because it's other players from around the league, but because they're all going through the journey together. 

If they can all keep each other on track and focused, the NBA will be getting back four stars before the end of the season, which would undoubtedly be a significant boost for their teams and the overall product. 

Adam Taylor
Twitter/X Muck Rack YouTube

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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