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In an appearance on the '7PM In Brooklyn' podcast, Celtics star Jayson Tatum opened up on what it means to be the face of the NBA. According to Tatum, the key to a young player claiming that title is to win multiple championships in a short time.
“There’s a lot of conversations about who the next [face of the league is], who is the best player, who is gonna replace LeBron James, Kevin Durant and those guys? I want to be known as the next LeBron and [Durant]. How do you do that? How do you separate yourself? You win a championship. You win multiple."
— Follow @CelticsUnite18 (@LukaMagicSon) July 15, 2024
When you think about the current face of the game, stars like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant are usually the first ones to emerge. Those players have reached legendary status not only due to their play but also due to their accomplishments as pros, which are unmatched in NBA history.
Both LeBron and Curry are 4x champions and have changed the game more than anyone who came before them. In the case of Durant, he's a 16-year veteran with two championships and an MVP to his name.
To reach the levels of those players requires a truly exceptional run and there isn't any young player right now who is close to reaching that level. Even Jayson Tatum, who is fresh off his first NBA championship, still has more to prove before anyone draws him in the same breath as LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Tatum, 26, may not be in the same club as LeBron, Curry, and Durant, but he is already one of the best players in basketball right now. he averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game for the Celtics last season and played a crucial role in their victory in the Finals.
With just seven years of experience, Tatum still has time to build on his title count before he hits 30. The 5x All-Star and 4x All-NBA player can do it all on the court and his confidence is unwavering after proving himself time after time.
To take that next level, Tatum will have to sustain this dominance for an extended time. Defending his team's championship in 2025 will certainly go a long way in helping him get there. Until that point, however, Tatum will have to just keep proving the critics wrong with his play on the court.
With Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis, the Cs have arguably the best roster in the league right now and it will be a challenge for any team in the East to keep up with them offensively.
If they can close the deal and Tatum leads the way, he will be on track to take up the mantle left behind by the greats. If not, he will still be a superstar for the Celtics and his career will only count as a success given all that he's accomplished in his short NBA stint so far.
More must-reads:
- Shaquille O'Neal makes peace with longtime enemy — mostly
- Five-time NBA All-Star announces retirement
- The '2024 NFL rushing TD leaders' quiz
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Draymond Green Calls Out Alperen Sengun With Three-Worded Message
It's no secret that the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets aren't fans of each other. If that much wasn't evident before the 2025 NBA Playoffs, it's definitely evident now. Whether it's Dillon Brooks and Steph Curry or Draymond Green and Alperen Sengun, there are multiple players with animosity on both teams. When it comes to Sengun in particular, though, he really wasn't a fan of the officiating against Golden State. “The Warriors were probably the one team that would have given us the most trouble, and we drew them," Sengun said in a recent interview with Socrates Dergi. "They’re a very experienced team, and they fouled a lot. In the playoffs, they don’t call it. But they were the ones crying all series about fouls not being called." “When it comes to us, we’re not really allowed to complain. It’s more of an internal thing. Ime Udoka doesn’t allow it. He loses his mind if we complain," Sengun added. Draymond Green's Response to Sengun If anyone expected Draymond Green to stay quiet after Sengun's words, they'd immediately be wrong. When the Golden State Warriors star saw the quote on Threads, he gave a blunt three-word response. "Hold that L," Green said to Sengun It didn't stop there for Green, though. He doubled down on his statements toward Sengun, adding further insult to injury. "That's a tough thing to say after you lose," Green said. "You have to win to stuff like that." Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets Rivalry Throughout Steph Curry's tenure with the Golden State Warriors, they've absolutely decimated the Houston Rockets. Curry has defeated them three times in the playoffs and has a 28-17 record against them all-time. During the 2025 NBA Playoffs, it looked like the Warriors were about to blow a 3-1 lead against Houston before ultimately winning. However, it'll be much harder for the Warriors to replicate the same success against Houston there, especially with Kevin Durant on the team now.
Chicago Bears looking at bringing back familiar face at running back
The Chicago Bears don’t appear satisfied with their running back room with one week left to decide the 53-man roster. The Bears have until Aug. 26 to make their final cuts before preparing for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. The Bears entered training camp with questions at running back. Veteran D’Andre Swift had a down year in 2024. Roschon Johnson isn’t a long-term solution, and seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai will have a steep learning curve when the regular season begins. The Chicago Bears worked out a former running back Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC, the Bears worked out running backs Royce Freeman, undrafted rookie Kylin James and former Carolina Panthers practice-squad player Dillon Johnson. Royce Freeman played with the Bears in 2024 Of the three, Freeman is the only running back with stats at the NFL level. Freeman, a third-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2018, has appeared in 79 games and started nine games. He’s rushed 471 times for 1,472 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Bears signed Freeman to the practice squad in December. He was then signed to the Los Angeles Rams practice squad in January. He last played a regular-season game in 2023, when he added 319 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games for the Rams. The Bears are signaling their need for a running back this summer. There are other options available in the trade market, as the Washington Commanders are shopping Brian Robinson Jr. during the preseason. More running backs will be available after other teams trim their rosters to 53 players, but they might not be the type of athletes to make a significant boost for the offense early in the regular season.
Former Green Bay Packers RB to miss entire 2025 NFL season due to injury
The Green Bay Packers are dealing with some concerning injuries to significant members of their roster. As their fans are well aware, the Packers have seen multiple wide receivers projected to be at the top of the depth cart go down during training camp with various injuries. Christian Watson, of course, has not been practicing all offseason as he is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears. In addition to him, the Packers also played their previous preseason game without Romeo Doubs (back), Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf). And while Doubs returned to practice this week, Reed and Wicks remain out. Elsewhere around the NFL, other teams are dealing with injuries of their own, and some involve players that are former Packers. Former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor is out for the 2025-26 NFL season One of these players is former Packers running back Patrick Taylor, who played in Green Bay from 2021-2023. An undrafted free agent who often filled in as Green Bay’s third running back, he accumulated 261 rushing yards and a touchdown in his three seasons with the Packers. He found himself out of a job when the Packers revamped their running back room before the 2024 NFL season. Taylor ended up with the San Francisco 49ers last season and had the best year of his career with 183 rushing yards and a touchdown while appearing in 13 games. He will not be playing any games this season as San Francisco just put him on season-ending injured reserve: NFL teams can only have so many players on an injured reserve list. Interestingly, Taylor’s injury led to the 49ers to release another former Packer, wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who was placed on injured reserve last week. In order to release an injured player, teams and that player must come to an injury settlement, which St. Brown received. He is now free to sign with any team in the NFL should he be able to pass a physical.
Packers' blockbuster trade pitch adds Micah Parsons for huge price
Speculation linking Dallas Cowboys All-Pro edge-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers continues to gain momentum as the star’s holdout amid stalled contract negotiations seems as far apart as ever. Parsons, two weeks ago, publicly requested a trade and continues to hold-in during Cowboys training camp, while there is a belief that Green Bay is attempting to pull off a blockbuster trade. Potential Packers-Micah Parsons Blockbuster Trade Package Parsons, 26, has posted 52.5 sacks through his first four seasons and is one of the most dominant players at his position. He is the kind of difference-maker who could cement Green Bay as a legitimate Super Bowl contender for years to come. But prying Parsons away from the Cowboys wouldn’t come cheap. "You’d want to hope to trade no more than three good young players for one elite player," an NFL executive and former general manager said to me recently of what a Parsons trade package might look like. Given that strategy, it isn’t difficult to envision Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst offering a package of players and picks that looks something like: Packers Trade: 2026 first-round NFL Draft choice, 2027 first-round draft choice, WR Romeo Doubs, EDGE Lukas Van Ness Cowboys Trade: Micah Parsons Trading two first-round picks is likely the starting point for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys in any Parsons negotiations. For the Packers, trading Van Ness would be offering a change of scenery for a former first-round draft choice who has yet to live up to expectations, and upgrading the position with a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player. Meanwhile, shipping Doubs to Dallas clears a logjam at wide receiver, while helping the Cowboys round out a balanced receiving corps that would include CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Doubs as perhaps the most prolific collection of talent Dak Prescott has had in his career. Whether Parsons’ trade request is anything more than posturing remains to be seen, but if the Cowboys open up trade talks, this package could be the kind of trade that nets Green Bay a difference-maker.
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