Jayson Tatum entered the 2026 Celtics Media Day with a lot to think about ahead of the new season. Boston is starting a new chapter after a major offseason change. Tatum remains the team’s main star, while Paul George has joined as one of the team’s biggest new additions. The Celtics are also coming off a first-round playoff exit after finishing the 2025-26 regular season with a 56-26 record.

That made one question for Jayson Tatum stand out. A reporter asked him if he now felt that the Celtics were his team as a leader. The question came at an important time, especially after Jaylen Brown moved to Philadelphia.

However, Tatum did not give a simple answer. He spoke about leadership, different roles and teamwork. He made it clear that Boston’s success will not depend on just one player.

“I’m not gonna… It’s not a, you know, it’s not a simple thing as, as it’s my team,” Tatum said in 2026 Celtics Media Day. “I don’t know if that’s like the answer you were looking for.”

Jayson Tatum did not reject the idea of being a leader. He simply did not want to describe leadership as ownership of the team. His next comments made that clear.

He pointed to the different jobs that players have on the Celtics. He also said that the team needs everyone to do their part.

“Like I said earlier, I understand the roles that we all play on this team. Everybody’s, role is different. Um, and you know, that’s what makes up a team,” Tatum continued. 

The timing of the question is important because Boston has changed a lot since its 2024 championship.

The Celtics won their record 18th NBA championship in June 2024. But the team changed after that title. The biggest change came in July 2026, when Boston traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and multiple draft picks.

Brown and Tatum had been Boston’s main star duo for years. With Brown now in Philadelphia, Tatum enters the 2026-27 season as the Celtics’ established franchise star. 

That naturally puts more responsibility on Tatum. But his Media Day answer showed that he does not want to describe that responsibility as something only he carries.

Instead, he focused on what every player can bring to the team.

“We don’t all have the same roles. We all bring something different, um, on a daily basis to make the group better, um, add to- towards winning, make this place, this organization better,” Tatum said. 

That idea also fits Boston’s new roster. The Celtics added George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley during the offseason. These moves gave Tatum more experienced teammates around him instead of simply finding another player to take Brown’s exact role.

Still, Tatum’s importance to Boston is clear.

He signed a five-year extension worth up to $315 million in 2024. The deal started with the 2025-26 season and runs through 2029-30.

His last season was very different from normal. An Achilles injury kept him out for a large part of the regular season. Tatum missed Boston’s first 62 games before returning. He played only 16 regular-season games and averaged 21.8 points, 10 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

Tatum then averaged 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists in six playoff games against Philadelphia. Boston eventually lost the seven-game first-round series.

Those numbers show why Tatum can affect the Celtics in many ways. He can score, rebound and create plays for his teammates. His size can also create mismatches, while his shooting can make things harder for opposing defenses.

The Media Day conversation then moved to George. This gave Tatum another chance to explain how he sees his new teammate.

The reporter asked about their relationship and whether the age difference could help both players learn from each other.

Tatum’s answer showed that his connection with George goes back many years. George was already a player Tatum watched while growing up and developing his own game.

“Uh, no, it’s been great,” Tatum said. “It’s been great getting to know, um, my new teammates, um, on a more personal level, especially obviously him.”

George’s arrival is important for another reason. Boston acquired him from Philadelphia in the same trade that sent Brown to the 76ers.

That means George had just played for the team that eliminated Boston from the playoffs.

But Tatum does not see George only as an experienced player joining his team. He also sees him as someone who influenced his basketball development.

Tatum said he was part of the generation that watched George during his younger years.

“Uh, I’m around that generation of kids that kinda grew up watching him play, especially, um, you know, when I was in middle school or in high school,” Tatum continued. 

Tatum did more than simply watch George’s games. He studied his game because George had many of the qualities Tatum wanted to develop.

Tatum pointed to George’s size, defense, and scoring ability.

“He definitely was one of the guys that, um, you know, when I was coming up I used to watch a lot of film on,” Tatum said. 

Tatum then explained exactly what he liked about George’s style.

“Um, just that archetype of two-way player, 6’9″, um, scoring on all three levels,” Tatum said. 

That makes George’s arrival even more interesting for Boston. George can bring experience and two-way wing play, while Tatum remains the younger star at the center of the Celtics’ next phase.

Tatum also made it clear that George remained someone he watched after he entered college and later the NBA.

“Um, so you know, he was definitely, you know, somebody when I was high school, college, even, you know, early in my career that, um, I would always, um, try to steal things from and, and you know, watch what he was doing,” Tatum said. 

These two Media Day answers show how Tatum sees Boston’s new chapter.

When a reporter asked if the Celtics were his team, Jayson Tatum did not make the season about himself. He focused on the different roles across the roster.

When the conversation moved to George, Tatum talked about a player he had watched and learned from for years.

The Celtics last won the NBA championship in 2024, when they beat the Dallas Mavericks in five games for their 18th title. Now, after Brown’s departure and Tatum’s return from a major injury, Boston enters another new phase.

Tatum’s answer shows that he understands the responsibility that comes with being Boston’s main star. But he does not believe that responsibility means calling the Celtics “my team.”

Instead, he sees leadership as something that comes from the entire locker room. Each player has a different role, and Tatum believes those different roles come together to help the Celtics win.

What are your thoughts on Jayson Tatum’s answers to the reporters at Media Day? Let us know in the comments.