Jayson Tatum ‘Took For Granted’ Earlier Years Winning With Celtics

Jayson Tatum is reminiscing on better days.

The Celtics forward revealed how he took his younger years with Boston for granted amid its ugly slump after a loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday night.

In Tatum’s rookie season, the Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Final before being eliminated by the then-LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7. The 23-year-old hasn’t faced a slump quite like this before and he and the rest of the C’s were called out by head coach Ime Udoka for lacking mental toughness.

And even though the Celtics sit at 18-21, Tatum has learned to appreciate the earlier seasons a bit more.

“I think early on, probably my rookie year, I thought that was just normal. Winning all those games, winning games in the playoffs. Probably taking it for granted a little bit,” Tatum told reporters after the game, per The Athletic. “Enjoy those moments. Stuff like this happens and I think it makes you appreciate times like that even more. Just knowing how hard it is to win in this league.”

It’s likely Tatum won’t take any stretch runs or playoff appearances for granted for the remainder of his NBA career, but at the end of the day, this could be a good learning experience for him.

The Celtics look to get back in the win column Saturday night when they welcome the Knicks to TD Garden. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.