Tatum has the Garnett moment and shouts ‘We did it!’ in celebration of Banner 18 originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
The Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals with a 4-1 series win over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night — a feat that certainly wouldn’t have been accomplished without the help of Boston star Jayson Tatum.
Holding back tears of joy, the five-time All-Star celebrated the final achievement by replicating an iconic moment from the franchise’s 2008 title celebration, on the same date, 16 years later – Kevin Garnett shouting, “Anything is possible!“
“Oh my God, it’s a surreal feeling,” Tatum told ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “We did it – we did it! Oh my God, we did it!”
Although Tatum didn’t win NBA Finals MVP – teammate Jaylen Brown won the Bill Russell Trophy – the Duke product made it clear that winning the Finals was his only goal this season, something he can now check off and add to his resume.
“First of all, God is greatest,” Tatum added. “Not because we won, but to put myself in a position to maximize my God-given ability to surround myself with these guys, my family — it’s an incredible feeling.”
Tatum ended the interview with a message to his critics: “What are they going to say now?
Tatum dominated in the Game 5 victory, scoring a game-high 31 points and 11 assists with eight rebounds and two steals. The 26-year-old forward averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists and one steal per game in the Finals.
Thanks to Tatum’s efforts, the Celtics are once again at the top of the NBA with the 18 best league titles.
