What does the championship do for Jayson Tatum’s Celtics legacy?

What does the championship do for Jayson Tatum’s Celtics legacy? originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston

Jayson Tatum had the talent and numbers to be put in the same conversation as former Boston Celtics greats. The only glaring omission on his resume? An NBA championship.

After seven up-and-down seasons, Tatum finally checked it off the list by leading the Celtics over the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. Critics can no longer hold his lack of a title against him, and he I made sure everyone knew that during his candid postgame press conference.

Now that Tatum has a ring, the conversation about his legacy with the Celtics becomes even more interesting. What is the 26-year-old superstar’s ceiling?

Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe joined Tuesday’s event Early Edition to share your opinion.

“You would think he still has a decade left, maybe? I mean, if he takes care of himself, he’s in remarkable shape and he’s always been in great condition,” Washburn said. “He’s going to put up the numbers. I mean, he’s going to challenge (John) Havlicek’s scoring record and then we’ll discuss whether this team can win multiple titles, but that puts him on a different plane. I mean, that takes his number retired, obviously he and Jaylen (Brown) like their whole image is different now.

Washburn also praised Tatum for how he responded to naysayers over the years.

“I think Jayson handled it remarkably, with all the criticism,” he added. “He’s never attacked. He’s always been a professional with us and you know what? He’s an incredible player and I think he’s shown that he’s more than just a shooter, more than just a guy who can put the ball in the bucket. He’s a guy who can do it all.”

NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg joined the conversation and agreed with Washburn’s assessment of Tatum’s legacy, though he was willing to take it a step further. He believes that, ultimately, Tatum could one day be in the same league as Celtics legends Larry Bird and Bill Russell.

“I think because he’s been working here a long time, I really think he’s going to come into that conversation,” Forsberg said. “I know it seems crazy now, but you have to take advantage of the time and we can’t evaluate it now. Like, Tatum is still on the rise. I know it seems absurd.

“And Bird, we never had the same clue to show what he could have done and we could always have to extrapolate the numbers because he was injured and never had it. And I have three titles that set him apart from everyone, but I think Tatum has a clue here, like, you unequivocally can’t rule out that if he and Jaylen go on this massive run of a modern dynasty, he won’t land among these stars.”

Before embarking on his pursuit of the Banner 19, Tatum will try to get paid this offseason. The five-time All-Star is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible for a $315 million supermax extension.

For now, though, Tatum and the C’s remain in celebration mode. They’ll take the championship party to Miami before returning to Boston for Friday’s parade.

Watch the full Celtics segment from the kickoff edition below, or on YouTube: