Eddie House uses LeBron as an example to defend Tatum’s mentality against the Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
For Boston Celtics fans, Wednesday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors was Jayson Tatum’s chance to exact “revenge” on Steve Kerr for him to bench him twice at the 2024 Paris Olympics. For Tatum, however, it was just another Wednesday.
The Celtic star closed the “revenge” story after Boston’s 118-112 loss to Golden Stateinsisting that any injustice that Kerr caused him during the summer was not in his mind and called those who expected him to be more fiery Wednesday night.
“People want me to be louder. People want me to be mean or whatever,” Tatum said. “One thing about Jayson is like, I’m always going to do what I want to do and approach things the way I want to approach and what I feel is true to who I am as a person.”
Tatum is clearly comfortable with how he approaches the game, regardless of whether people like it or not. That confidence is very impressive to former Celtics guard Eddie House, who has seen firsthand what happens when superstars try to play outside of themselves.
House was a member of the 2010-11 Miami Heat in the first season of the “Big Three” era after LeBron James famously took his talents to South Beach to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. And as House explained Thursday further Arbella Early EditionJames was so caught up with sending a message to his detractors after leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers that it affected his play that season.
“He was angry, and LeBron never played the game angry,” House said. “He was always happy, having fun and being happy. It was about his teammates and stuff. (But) he had a chip on his shoulder because of how everyone reacted to The Decision, and he wasn’t the best. version of himself.”
While James continued to have a strong statistical season, his Heat super team fell to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals. James was the same age as Tatum at the time (26), so House praises Tatum’s ability at such a young age to stay true to himself — especially because it’s delivering results.
“I think self-recognition and self-reflection is the best thing that Jayson Tatum has,” House said. “He might not be a guy who plays well angry! If you’re mad, you go out there, you’re so mad and you’re excited to try to stick it to somebody and be like, ‘Man, I’m going to give it to them ‘ and then you are not the best version of yourself.
“I think the way he’s handled it is something that everybody just has to embrace. He’s not going to be Michael Jordan. He’s not going to be the guy that comes in like, ‘I’m going to be this killer.’ He’s going to be a killer when you look the stats and will play the game, but he won’t be a guy like Kobe (Bryant, and that’s good because he’s still capable of delivering the championship).still an All-NBA player and Olympic gold medalist.
“So at the end of the day, he’s as decorated as they come, and that’s how he does it.”
Criticisms of Tatum’s mentality may have held more weight earlier in his career, but to House’s point, they ring hollow now that Tatum has an NBA championship, two Olympic gold medals, three All-NBA First Teams and more under his belt. resume Even in Wednesday’s loss to the Warriors, Tatum had a strong showing with 32 points on 10 of 20 shooting.
Tatum embraces the mindset that helps him play his best basketball, and the results speak for themselves.
Hear more from Eddie House on Tatum in the video below or on YouTube.
