Brad Stevens had some solid candidates to choose from when it came to selecting a new head coach for the Boston Celtics, and he knew Jayson Tatum was someone he had to consult.
Tatum was kept in the loop throughout the search before Ime Udoka was named as the 18th head coach in Celtics history. Tatum, though, knew Stevens, now president of basketball operations, would make the best decision for the team.
“All the guys that I guess were finalists, I liked all of them. I had somewhat of a relationship with all of them, and I basically told him you can’t go wrong,” Tatum told reporters Wednesday, per MassLive’s Souichi Terada. “It’s their job in the front office to make the decisions, and it’s my job to go out there and play. That’s basically it.”
Tatum and Udoka already have teamed up in 2019 when Tatum was a member of Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in 2019.
“I think what stands out the most is — I guess when you’re coming up as an assistant, when you get your first head coach job, you’re driven and motivated,” Tatum said. “From the conversations I’ve had with him since he’s got the job, I can just tell he’s really, really excited. It’s going to be fun, and we’re going to try to accomplish something big.”
The Celtics already have been busy this offseason, and more moves could be on the horizon before the 2021-22 NBA season begins.
