BOSTON – Jayson Tatum is officially an NBA champion! The St. Louis-raised NBA star secured his first title Monday as the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Tatum earns his first NBA championship at the age of 26 after seven years in the league.
The Celtics defeated the Mavericks 106-88 on Monday evening for their 18th title in franchise history, most among NBA teams. Tatum scored 31 points in the victory.
Tatum credits his faith, teammates, and coaching staff for the journey.
“First and foremost, God is the greatest,” said Tatum on the ABC broadcast moments after the title. “Putting us in this position to be surrounded by each other. Putting us in this position to maximize our ability. It’s been a long time coming, but damn, it was worth it.”
The NBA title validates Tatum’s relentless drive and evolution as a basketball player, from a state champion in high school to an Olympic gold medalist to a five-time All-Star and now a champion on basketball’s highest stage.
Tatum flourished in his high school days with Chaminade College Preparatory School in suburban St. Louis, rallying for back-to-back Final Four state appearances and ending his high school career with a 2016 state championship.
In 19 playoff games this season, Tatum averaged around 25 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 40 minutes per game. While he built a case for the NBA Finals MVP Award, the honor instead went to longtime teammate Jaylen Brown.
Regardless, Tatum feels immense pride.
“We know we need each other,” said Tatum. “We all need each other. This is a team sport. We went through the ups and downs. We deserve this. We earned this for sure.”
According to Basketball.RealGM.com, Tatum is one of just eight players with St. Louis-area roots who have won at least one NBA championship. He is the first to do so with the Celtics since Jo Jo White, who picked up two titles with Boston and took home NBA Finals MVP honors in 1976.
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