The path toward appreciation and respect has always remained slightly harder for Jayson Tatum. Despite winning the championship and being in the MVP conversations, criticism never fails to make its way to the Boston Celtics’ forward. Hence, it was not surprising when former player Brandon Jennings called Tatum the ‘Softest superstar.’
However, the unanticipated factor was Jayson Tatum‘s response. The star mocked the statement by putting it as a caption for his highlights post on Instagram. Now, Tatum has finally revealed the story behind it during the press conference after the matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Tatum admitted that he does not hold any grudges towards Jennings.
I wasn’t mad. I just had some time, that’s it… It comes with being one of the best players in the league. The more you accomplish, the more it gives people the opportunity to nitpick.
Jayson Tatum told Celtics Beat reporter Daniel Donabedian
The Celtics’ main man does not usually comment on the criticisms. Regardless of the taunting post, Tatum returned to his truest form that the fans are familiar with. The star gave a mature response and acknowledged that such remarks about established players are not new to the NBA.
“I wasn’t mad, I had some time… It comes with being one of the best players in the league… I’m not the first superstar to deal with this.”
Jayson Tatum on Brandon Jennings calling him soft 😅
(via @danield1214) pic.twitter.com/IbDWsyfXSq
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 11, 2025
While saying that, Tatum also subtly admitted that he is currently amongst the best in the game. Perhaps, this is the type of reaction Jennings looked for when he made the statement. The former point guard even commented on Tatum’s post saying “This is the energy I want!!” It is safe to say that Jennings was impressed by Tatum’s witty comeback.
Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla subtly took a jibe at Brandon Jennings
Jayson Tatum clarified that he was not bothered by Jennings’ statement, but his coach seemed to disagree. Joe Mazzulla is known for his tough, game-winning mindset that frequently manages to raise some eyebrows in the league. The coach never fails to have his players’ back, which is exactly what happened this time as well.
Ahead of the game against the Kings, Mazzulla was asked about his thoughts on Jennings’s opinion. Mazzulla unhesitatingly shared his insight on retired players commenting on the younger generation’s performance. The HC subtly reminded Jennings of his not-so-impressive career as he was making a statement about others.
Sometimes the older you get, the better you were as a player. You forget, like – and that’s everybody, people say that. So, if we all just kind of remembered what we were then we probably wouldn’t have so many opinions of other people.
Joe Mazzulla told the reporters
In the wake of Brandon Jennings’ comments about Jayson Tatum, Joe Mazzulla was asked about former players taking shots at the current generation: “Sometimes the older you get, the better you were as a player. You forget, like – and that’s everybody, people say that. So if we all…
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) January 10, 2025
While saying that Mazzulla also stated that the players should not believe in all the praise and the criticism. The coach came to Tatum’s defense but also showed that he was helping his players understand where to focus. Tatum’s response may have been a result of Mazzulla’s guidance.
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