Brandon Jennings doubles down on Jayson Tatum being one of the softest Celtics superstars in the NBA: “It doesn’t mean that he is not a great player” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Former players who transition into the analyst/podcasting world often make bold declarations about the legacies or potential ceilings of today’s NBA stars. A notable example came earlier this year when Brandon Jennings unapologetically labeled Jayson Tatum as the “softest Boston Celtics superstar.”
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During his appearance on “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” the 6’1″ point guard doubled down on that sentiment and offered a detailed explanation as to why he believes “Taco Jay” shouldn’t be placed in the same conversation as other franchise legends like Larry Bird and Kevin Garnett.
Brandon explains his stance on the matter
When discussing today’s generation of stars, JT has undoubtedly been one of the most accomplished. In just eight seasons, he has led the Celtics to five Eastern Conference Finals appearances and two NBA Finals appearances and has once gone all the way to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy. Considering all this, Shaquille O’Neal questioned Jennings why he proclaimed Tatum with such a harsh “soft” remark.
“The Pterodactyl” explained that, in his view, since the current Celtics team is built around the six-time All-Star, he should emerge as the team’s undisputed leader. However, when Jaylen Brown was able to secure the Finals MVP honor over Tatum, the latter’s ability to be the team’s “alpha” came under question. In simpler words, had Kobe Bryant won the Finals MVP over Shaq during their three-pear years, many would not have considered “Diesel” as the Purple and Gold’s clear-cut leader.
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Furthermore, in Jennings’ view, what separates Jayson from the greats is his inability to take things personally and elevate under pressure — the way leaders like Bird and Garnett consistently did. In his eyes, that makes the 27-year-old forward come off as “soft.”
“I said Jayson Tatum was the softest Celtics superstar ever. I never said that he wasn’t great. I guess I’m going off because Jaylen Brown won the Finals MVP and this is supposed to be your team and your moment. That’s just like if when you went to the Finals and Kobe would’ve got the Finals MVP, you would be looking like, ‘Shaq ain’t really like that.’ So, for a Celtics superstar – the toughness and what the Celtics bring- you go back to McHale, Larry Bird, and KG, it was just a different type of dog,” Jennings said. “It doesn’t mean that he is not a great player,” the retired lefty guard explained.
Even Larry and KG took a backseat
Jennings is entitled to hold onto his perspective, but it is important to note that even in 1981, Cedric Maxwell led the Celtics to a title and earned Finals MVP over Bird. Similarly, in the 2008 championship run, it was Paul Pierce who took home the honor over “The Big Ticket.”
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These cases show that the ultimate goal for Celtics superstars has historically been team success, not individual accolades. By deferring when needed and allowing his teammates to shine, Tatum prioritized cohesion and chemistry, which played a crucial role in the team’s championship win.
Therefore, labeling JT is another layer to the disrespect he continuously faces. While he may not possess the same trash-talking bravado or intense persona as KG and “Larry Legend,” his consistency and ability to shut out the outside noise and achieve greatness cannot be denied. Thus, at this point, the St. Louis native has made a valid case for already being a top-five Celtic of all time.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.