The competitive fire burns deep in Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
Tatum, who was named the NBA All-Star Game MVP over the weekend after surpassing the game’s scoring record, has stressed that his sights are set on an NBA championship. So when Tatum was asked by The Athletic which NBA player he would like to see win a championship, the 24-year-old didn’t need to think twice.
“Nah, nobody. I’ve gotta get one first,” Tatum told The Athletic for a story which included a poll of NBA players.
The outlet prefaced the question by stating: “Besides yourself, is there a player in the league you’d love to see win a ring?” Tatum, though, was the only one who took that phrasing a step further as opposed to answering the question.
The Celtics currently have the NBA’s best record and are the betting favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook to win the NBA Finals.
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul and fellow veteran Russell Westbrook, who is nearing a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, were each named by multiple NBA players. None of the nine players that were included voted for someone on Tatum’s Celtics.
The poll also included questions on who the best trash talker is (Tatum said Draymond Green), whether or not the league should change its playoff format to include five-game series (Tatum said yes) and a handful of other questions.
Tatum and the Celtics will return from the NBA All-Star break and kick off their unofficial second half of the season Thursday against the Indiana Pacers.
