Jayson Tatum isn't used to going home so early.
Perhaps that's why the Boston Celtics star admitted Tuesday night he's "mad" his team's season is over, following their loss to the Brooklyn Nets in Game 5 of their first-round NBA playoffs series. Tatum offered this initial, emotional reaction to Boston's playoff exit before putting it into perspective.
"Am I mad that we lost? Yeah, I'm mad," Tatum said in a postgame video conference. "First time being eliminated in the first round, it's not good, it's not the way that we envisioned this season going, but I guess it's a learning experience that myself and other guys can take with them for the rest of their careers. We can learn a lot from this."
The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference final twice in Tatum's first three NBA seasons and progressed to the conference semifinal in the other campaign. He and the other Celtics entered Year 4 of his career with high expectations, but circumstances, both under and outside of their control, combined to produce an utterly disappointing end.
Tatum is just 23 years old and likely will play many more NBA seasons. The chastening experience of 2020-21 ultimately might serve him well if he stays true to the words he delivered amid the agony of defeat.
