Kendrick Perkins Considers Jayson Tatum’s 2024-25 Personal Goal ‘Selfish’

Jayson Tatum won an NBA championship and signed a record-setting $315 million extension with the Boston Celtics, but the 26-year-old intends to raise the bar even higher, personally, once the team returns to begin their title defense on Oct. 22.

Tatum made an appearance Wednesday night on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." The five-time All-Star locked in a few preseason predictions, partook in a rap battle with Fallon, and set some goals with less than six weeks until Boston officially raises its 18th banner at TD Garden. But Tatum's goal to strive for his first-career league MVP award didn't sit well with former Celtics center Kendrick Perkins.

"Selfish. Selfish, he's selfish," Perkins said Thursday on ESPN's "NBA Today." "... I'm not being negative or anything, now. But seeking or concentrating on one's own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others. Here's the thing, I get that basketball is a team sport, right? And I get championships have helped define a lot of guys' legacy. Hell, I'm still called a champion to this day.

"... (Kevin Garnett) and I, in 2009-2010, we actually got into a heated battle which almost cost us our relationship after we won the championship (in 2008) because KG felt like I was playing to try to make the All-Star team, and I was. I did have my own personal agenda. And Ticket, the big fella, he had to go and think about it, he said, 'Perk, I should want you to make the All-Star team. You should want that for yourself.' So I have no problem with a player being somewhat selfish wanting to accomplish things on an individual basis."

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla encouraged the team to embrace a selfless mindset throughout last season, and Tatum -- alongside co-leader Jaylen Brown -- stood tall at the forefront of bringing that vision to life. Tatum logged his fewest field-goal attempt average (19.3) since his third season in the league and still scored 26.9 points with 8.1 rebounds and a career-best 4.9 assists before leading the Celtics in points, rebounds, and assists in their successful NBA Finals trip against the Dallas Mavericks.

Interpreting Tatum's upcoming MVP pursuit as "selfish," if anything, moves the goalpost from what the general media discourse was surrounding Tatum in the playoffs. Tatum was ridiculed for coming up short for both Eastern Conference Finals and Finals MVP to Brown, all while keeping the Celtics in their dominant form by contributing in other ways -- drawing double or triple teams, rebounding and passing. The season hasn't even started yet and it's fair to say Tatum's returning to what was left after the Game 5 clincher.