Chirping Jayson Tatum? Celtics Rookie Bringing Fun Attitude To Boston

The Boston Celtics may have found something in rookie Jordan Walsh, if not only for his bravery.

Walsh played well in his Celtics debut, scoring 18 points on 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc in a Summer League loss on Saturday afternoon. It was in the midst of that performance that the 19-year-old shot a chirp in the direction of franchise superstar Jayson Tatum.

“I looked at him a couple of times,” Walsh said of Tatum, per Jay King of The Athletic. “He didn’t look back at me. But I looked over there like, ‘Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.’ But it’s respect though. I love watching him play.”

“I looked at him a couple of times. He didn’t look back at me.”

Boston Celtics rookie Jordan Walsh on Jayson Tatum

Tatum likely had bigger things to pay attention too than just Walsh, but there’s no doubt the rookie’s performance turned some heads in the Celtics front office. His willingness to shoot the ball, something that has been an issue in the past, was on full display in an example of the rookie taking to some coaching.

“I just remember in practice one day, somebody hit me for a wide open corner three and I didn’t shoot it,” Walsh recalled, per King. “I did a side step and then shot it, and the gym went crazy. They were like, ‘Jordan, what are you doing?’ Like, they were yelling at me. They were like, ‘You have to shoot it.'”

“I learned my first day going into Boston that everything affects winning.”

Boston Celtics rookie Jordan Walsh

An improved shooting stroke could be exactly what the doctor ordered for Walsh, who could be in line to take some of Grant Williams’ minutes in the Celtics lineup. Though it almost certainly won’t be a one-for-one change, the rookie is already bringing the kind of attitude Boston could only hope to get in a Williams replacement.

“I learned my first day going into Boston that everything affects winning,” Walsh said, per King. “Whether you’re on the bench, whether you’re just walking around the street, maybe you’re just eating food, whatever you’re doing — everything affects winning. So I want to take real responsibility and real pride in everything that I do affects the team in a positive way, affects the organization in a positive way to get another banner.”