How Larry Fowl is motivating Tatum after championship season

How Larry Fowl is motivating Tatum after championship season initially appeared on NBC Sports activities Boston

Did Jayson Tatum anticipate to play extra within the 2024 Paris Olympics? Sure. Is he nonetheless a bit bothered by the expertise? Itappears so.

However the Boston Celtics star has larger fish to fry getting into the 2024-25 season.

Tatum already has been requested a number of instances about his shocking lack of taking part in time with Crew USA this summer time, and the expectation is that any disrespect he felt will assist gas him this season after he lastly received an NBA title in June.

Chatting with NBA TV’s Jared Greenberg, nevertheless, the 26-year-old stated his main motivation comes from a distinct supply.

“I don’t give anyone or a scenario like that a lot consideration or credit score,” Tatum instructed Greenberg in an interview at Celtics Media Day. “I didn’t want any additional motivation coming into the season. My motivation got here from us successful the championship and the corporate that I joined in doing that. The motivation got here from not being glad.

“Larry Fowl is the perfect Celtic to ever put on this uniform, and that’s the man that I’m chasing. Even when I fall in need of that, if I aspire to be as nice as he was and when you fall a bit of quick, you had a hell of a profession.

“My motivation is to chase the perfect gamers to ever play — the perfect gamers to ever put on a Celtic uniform.”

That is an admirable mindset for Tatum to have. The seven-year veteran clearly appreciates the historical past of the Celtics franchise, which has received an NBA-record 18 championships and produced a bunch of Corridor of Famers. In Boston, even successful one title is not sufficient: Fowl received 3 times, whereas franchise icon Invoice Russell received 11 championships.

Tatum is nicely on his approach to a Corridor of Fame profession, with 5 All-Star nods, three First-Crew All-NBA alternatives, two Olympic gold medals and an NBA title on his resume by means of seven seasons. However he and the Celtics have a golden alternative to succeed the place the “Huge Three” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen fell quick by successful a number of titles.

If the C’s wish to change into the primary NBA crew to repeat as champions since 2018, they’re going to want Tatum to raise his sport much more. And that is what he plans on doing.

“At 26 years previous, and as achieved as I’m, I simply all the time really feel like general I can nonetheless get higher,” Tatum instructed NBC Sports activities Boston at Celtics Media Day.

“You have not seen the perfect model of Jayson Tatum. And also you should not have, proper? I am solely 26; I ought to proceed to get higher.”