Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum recently claimed that if he played for the Memphis Grizzlies instead of the Boston Celtics, he probably would have already earned a statue at this point in his career.
Some people met Tatum’s proclamation with rejection as his statement seemed to belittle the Grizzlies as an organization. However, former Washington Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas agrees with what JT said and says he would be immortalized with an effigy in Memphis, if he retired today.
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“If Tatum’s resume was on the Memphis Grizzlies, he will have a statue when he retires. He is saying complete truth. He probably has more All-Stars by himself than combined from the franchise. I don’t have to look it up, but I’m sure he’s f—n’ close,”said Gil.
The standards are much higher in Boston
In the history of the Grizzlies franchise, there have only been a total of 10 All-Star selections, which is just four more than Tatum’s tally of six. Those 10 ASG appearances were earned by five different players — Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant.
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As for All-NBA selections, though, Memphis has just four, including only one First Team selection. In contrast, Tatum has five overall, including four straight First Team nods from 2022 to today. JT also won one NBA title and the All-Star Game MVP trophy, both in 2023. But as Arenas explained, earning a stature in Boston takes way more than that.
“When you’re playing for the Lakers or Boston Celtics, you’re not playing against your field; you’re playing against legacy. You’re judged on pure legacy. Boston Celtics players are being judged by people up there,” added Gil.
Chasing Larry Legend
When JT talked about deserving a statue if he played for the Grizzlies, it was not about that, per se. The context of the conversation between JT and Ryan Clark was the pressure of playing for the winningest franchise in NBA history, the Boston Celtics and the need to live up to the expectation of winning at least one NBA title, as every other Celtics great had.
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That’s where Memphis entered the discussion because, without the same title expectations there, his resume today would probably already merit a statue.
Not that he wants a statue in Boston, but he wants to be considered among the team’s all-time greats. But that’s not the case for him because instead of going after Marc Gasol or Zach Randolph, he now has to chase Larry Bird to reach that status.
“I’m chasing people like Larry Bird, where the standard is so much higher, and it’s like you don’t want to be the great player of the Celtics, that one guy that didn’t win like Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Kevin McHale. So you don’t want to be remembered as that guy or that team that never got it done,” said Tatum.
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After leading the Celtics to the 2024 NBA championship, Tatum has already forged his name in the team’s history. What he accomplishes from today onward will determine how high he ranks in the Boston hierarchy.
As far as a statue in Boston goes, however, he’s nowhere near that because even Larry Legend doesn’t have one yet.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.