Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is a now an NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist but few people consider him the “face” of the NBA.
Why is that?
Speaking on the latest episode of his show, Gilbert Arenas claimed the powers that be who run the league don’t want Tatum to be the NBA’s biggest star.
“When the NBA wants you to win an award, trust me, there’s no mistaking. So they did not write him as the face of the NBA,” Arenas said.
Why Jayson Tatum ISN’T the face of the NBA pic.twitter.com/ejcpw2mXPU
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) October 3, 2024
Arenas believes in Tatum’s talent and thinks he’s one of the most important and impressive stars in the NBA but he still isn’t given the respect that he deserves.
This is an argument that other people have made about the Celtics star.
They believe Tatum should at least be in the conversation for MVP but it seems like he isn’t.
Last season, Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists and 25 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists during his team’s amazing playoff run.
But even with those numbers, most people rightfully assumed that he wouldn’t come close to winning MVP.
He also missed out on Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP, which both went to Jaylen Brown.
It sometimes feels like Tatum gets heavily criticized and people question his leadership abilities and consistency.
Perhaps that’s why he’s not an MVP contender, but Arenas thinks it’s about more than that.
With his Finals win and latest Olympics achievement, Tatum is now one of the most decorated young players in the NBA, but he is still not the face of the league and that’s part of a large plan preventing him from his rightful respect, according to Arenas.
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Jaylen Brown Sends Scary Message About Celtics’ Offense This Season