This season, Jayson Tatum will not be able to play alongside Damian Lillard for the Boston Celtics. Despite expressing a desire to play with Lillard, the superstar point guard was eventually dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tatum explained the failed recruitment attempt in an interview with Tougher and Rich on 98.5 The Sports Club on Tuesday.
“When someone has their mind made up, you have to respect it. We talk on FaceTime from time to time, so every once in a while I would tell him Boston is a great place if you didn’t know.”
Jayson Tatum
Lillard and his team made it clear that playing for the Miami Heat was his dream destination. That didn’t stop Tatum or other stars around the league from attempting to persuade Lillard. Ultimately, the Celtics will likely have to go through Lillard and the Bucks in the Eastern Conference to win a championship.
Although the Celtics missed out on Lillard, they quickly upgraded their guard position. The team traded for former Bucks guard Jrue Holiday in response to the Lillard trade. Although Holiday is not on the same level as Lillard, he still offers amazing help at the position for the Celtics.
Tatum didn’t take it personally that Lillard didn’t want to join him in Boston.
“If people want to go somewhere, you can’t be mad at him. Everyone is entitled to feel what they feel and they should be able to go where they want.”
Jayson Tatum said
Although the Celtics missed out on adding Lillard, they’re still a contender in the NBA. The team has one of the strongest starting lineups in the entire league. However, getting through Lillard and the Bucks will make for quite a challenge.
The Celtics have continued to knock at the door of winning an NBA Championship. After signing Jaylen Brown to a long-term extension, they will look to finish the job this year.
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