Jayson Tatum Feels 'Embraced' by Boston Community

On a recent episode of the Point Forward Podcast, Jayson Tatum was asked about his desired legacy in Boston. The city is associated with the likes Tom Brady, David Ortiz, and Paul Pierce.

Tatum originally disliked Boston’s sports teams for depriving the St. Louis Rams and Kobe Bryant of a championship victory.

“I didn’t understand how special of a place Boston was when I got here. I didn’t like Boston. I felt like [the New England Patriots] beating the [St. Louis] Rams was the reason the Rams ended up leaving… [The Boston Celtics] beat Kobe [Bryant] in 2008, so I was sick about that.”

Tatum feels accepted by Boston’s community, and he believes that his legacy will magnify if he leads the Celtics to their 18th NBA championship.

“They love their sports teams. They love their guys. I feel like I’ve been embraced, that they’ve accepted me as one of their guys… I can only imagine the love, the reception, if you hung one of those banners up. It would be incredible. It’s going to be incredible.”

Tatum currently ranks seventh on the KIA MVP Ladder. This season, the St. Louis native is averaging 27.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

Watch the full interview here.