“I’d have a statue with Grizzlies by now”: Jayson Tatum explains why Boston’s standard makes greatness feel ordinary

For Jayson Tatum, it seems like there’s winning in the NBA, and then there is winning in Boston. This distinction has become the defining theme of his professional life. The Celtics’ cornerstone opened up about the unique, often sky-high expectations that come with playing as a Celtic.Jayson’s contribution in bringing home the 2024 NBA championship is irrefutable. In Celtics vs Mavs decisive Game 5, Tatum recorded 31 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds, and went 11-24 from the field with an efficiency of 45.8%. But despite these illustrious stats on his resume, Tatum believes that Boston’s weight of 18 banners changes the way a player's career is perceived.During a conversation on that latest episode of The Pivot Podcast with Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor, Jayson Tatum opened about the expectations while playing for the City of Champions, drawing a stark comparison between the historical prestige of Boston and the reality of smaller NBA markets.“Let’s be honest, the career I have right now, if I had it with the Grizzlies, I would have a statue outside the arena right now. I am chasing like Larry Bird, where the standard is so much higher, and you don’t want to be the great Celtics players who didn’t win,” Tatum remarked.Tatum, currently 27 and working his way back from a significant Achilles injury sustained in the 2025 playoffs, already boasts a resume that includes an NBA Championship, multiple All-NBA First Team selections, and two Olympic gold medals. But his comment highlights a fascinating disparity in NBA culture. For a franchise like the Memphis Grizzlies, a team that is still searching for its first title, Jayson’s excellence on the court as per would lead to immediate immortalization. However, in Boston, Tatum finds himself measured against the likes of Larry Bird, Bill Russell, and Paul Pierce. For the Celtics fans, a single ring is often viewed as the entry fee to the conversation of greatness, rather than the conclusion of it. As per Spotrac, in July 2024, Jayson Tatum signed the largest contract in NBA history, a five-year, $314 million supermax extension. Under this contract, he’ll earn $54.1 million in 2025-26 and then a staggering $71 million in the final year of the contract. However, the 2025-26 campaign has been sidelined because of a torn right Achilles suffered in last year's playoffs. Now eight months post-surgery, Tatum continues to tease fans with explosive workout videos, but the franchise hasn’t set any date for his potential return. The Celtics (29-17) are currently sitting second in the East, and despite the absence of Tatum on the hardwood, they boast the second-best offensive rating with 120.8.