Fresh off his first career NBA title, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has made his long-term career goals clear. According to the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, the 26-year-old wants to remain a Celtic for his entire career.
“For me just to feel wanted, and they want me to be here and want me for the long haul,” Tatum said. “I’ll spend my whole career here and have got nothing but love for the fans, the city, and the organization. You know, we just won a championship and I want to try to win as many as I can.”
In addition to winning the first NBA championship of his career, Tatum received a record-breaking contract extension this summer. Last week, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Tatum and the Celtics agreed to a five-year, $314 million contract extension. This is now the largest contract in NBA history, breaking the record set last year by Tatum’s teammate, Jaylen Brown.
Tatum has spent his entire seven-year NBA career with the Celtics up to this point after the team drafted him with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. In that time, he is a one-time NBA champion, a one-time Eastern Conference Finals MVP, a five-time NBA All-Star, and a four-time All-NBA selection.
Celtics Star Wants to Spend Career in Boston
Jayson Tatum Can Lead a New Celtics Dynasty
The Celtics ended the 2023-24 season with a 64-18 record and had one of the most dominant seasons for any team in league history. In addition to the star duo of Tatum and Brown, the Celtics are led by Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford. Additionally, head coach Joe Mazzulla, who only has two seasons of head coaching experience in the NBA, is likely to stick around for the long haul. Furthermore, every major player from Boston’s recent championship team is under contract for at least one more season. Because of this, the Celtics are in a good position to immediately return to the title picture. Additionally, they have the tools to stick around for the foreseeable future as well.
According to FanDuel, the Celtics (+300) are heavy favorites to win the NBA Finals in 2025. The Oklahoma City Thunder (+750), Denver Nuggets (+850), Philadelphia 76ers (+850), New York Knicks (+900), and Dallas Mavericks (+1000) round out the rest of the top six.
The Last Word on Jayson Tatum
With Boston, Tatum has grown into a superstar. Now an NBA champion, Tatum has accomplished nearly everything in the NBA at just 26 years old. Keeping him around for the long run is a no-brainer for the Celtics. Tatum has already cemented himself as a Celtics great and will likely still climb the rankings. Tatum’s career 24.6 VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) ranks fifth in Celtics history. This ranks above Celtics legends like Kevin Garnett, Dave Cowens, and Rajon Rondo.
Now that Tatum is locked up for the long run, it is important for Boston to maximize their championship window. It will be worth seeing if the Celtics can be the first team to repeat as champions next season. If they do, they will be the first since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors to do so.
