The Boston Celtics opened their 2026 NBA Playoffs run with a 123-91 beatdown of the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday afternoon. As has been the case for close to a decade now, Jayson Tatum led the way for the C’s, as he finished the day with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists on 9/17 shooting from the field.
Tatum’s dominant postseason outing is just the latest accolade in a season that he initially didn’t know if he would suit up for at all after he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in last year’s playoffs. Through his first nine years with Boston, Tatum has accomplished quite a bit, but according to the man himself, he initially didn’t want to find his way to the Celtics in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Jayson Tatum Didn’t Want to Get Drafted by the Celtics
During his time with Boston, Tatum has turned himself into one of the best players in the league. Prior to the 2025-26 campaign, Tatum had earned six-straight All-Star selections, including four All-NBA First Team honors. Most importantly, though, he led the C’s to their most recent championship after they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Getting Tatum to town in the first place, though, was a bit of a journey. The Celtics landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but they ended up trading it to the 76ers, landing the No. 3 pick instead. Tatum watched Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball get selected before he eventually landed with Boston, where he became a cornerstone piece of the franchise.
Tatum’s partnership with the C’s has gone swimmingly to this point, but if it were up to him, he never would have landed with Boston. As the superstar forward recently revealed, he didn’t want to get drafted by the Celtics in 2017. Considering how things have played out since then, though, it’s safe to say it all worked out for him.
“I didn’t really want to be there,” Tatum admitted on “The White Noise Podcast with Derrick White.” “I didn’t want to get drafted by Boston.”
Jayson Tatum Aiming to Lead Celtics on Another Championship Run
While players often won’t admit it, there are often teams that would prefer to land with in the draft. The Celtics were not on Tatum’s list, even though they traded back in the draft, knowing that they would be able to land him. It was a shrewd move from the team’s general manager at the time (Danny Ainge), and it helped the C’s eventually build a championship winner around Tatum.
Now that he’s made a miraculous return from his Achilles injury, Tatum is looking to go on another title run. If Game 1 against Philly was anything to go by, it looks like Boston is going to be a real threat to win it all this postseason. There’s still a long way to go, though, and it starts with picking up another victory in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
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