The Boston Celtics remain undefeated so far, having a 5-0 winning streak, something that the team has achieved after the 2009-10 season. The star forward Jayson Tatum has reached a milestone in a recent game against the Brooklyn Nets. At just 25 YO, he plays at an elite level and has made four-time All-Star appearances. 

He recently became the youngest player in franchise history to score 10,000 career points. He also became the 10th player in NBA history to do that at this age. In an interview later, he got honest about his abilities to play for the Celtics when he was drafted back in 2017. 

Jayson Tatum says he “was ignorant”

When he was drafted as a third overall pick, he didn’t think he was good enough to play for the storied franchise. But his success vouches otherwise, as he rightly pointed out, “Man, I was ignorant when I got drafted,” Tatum said in a press conference. 

READ MORE: Revealed: Jayson Tatum’s Only Probable Weakness

He continued, saying that the talent and expectations intimidated him from playing in the most successful franchise ever. In the process, he had to overcome his insecurities and learn to trust his skills and game.

“First of all, I didn’t even want to come because I didn’t think I was going to play. They had Gordon (Hayward) and JB and Isaiah Thomas, (Marcus) Smart… I didn’t think I was good enough to be on that team,” he humbly said after his historic night. 

Tatum’s self-doubt was understandable. The Celtics were coming off a season in which they reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Tatum was a rookie, and he didn’t know if he could crack the rotation. “It’s been a long process,” he said. “I’ve had to learn through the ups and downs through my mistakes of late-game decisions.” 

He orchestrated the recent victory for the Celtics

Tatum used his fear, doubt, and insecurity as fuel and the results are coming through that process now, as he has gotten used to playing at this level. Fast forward, he has grown into one of the best players in the league and led the team to the Eastern Conference finals twice.