Jayson Tatum sets new goal with the Celtics moving forward

Boston Celtics

“Winning another championship and holding up Finals MVP.”

Jayson Tatum is setting high expectations for next season. AP Photo/Matt Slocum

By Conor Ryan

May 13, 2026 | 5:20 PM

2 minutes to read

Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum has already reached the proverbial mountaintop in the NBA after helping Boston win an 18th championship in June 2024.

​But, the 28-year-old Tatum is setting a new goal with Boston going into the 2026-27 campaign.

​“Winning another championship and holding up Finals MVP,” Tatum said on “Glass Half Full” with NBC’s Craig Melvin.

While that championship expectation doesn’t come as much of a surprise for Tatum and a Celtics team solidly in a contending window, Tatum didn’t secure any individual hardware during that run to a title two summers ago.

Jaylen Brown took home 2024 NBA Finals MVP honors, with Tatum averaging 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game during that five-game series against the Mavericks.​

While Tatum struggled with his shooting in that series (38.8 percent), especially from 3-point range (26.3 percent), his versatility, defensive talents, and playmaking allowed Boston to overwhelm Dallas en route to a title and an overall 16-3 record that postseason.

Tatum is looking for a clean slate next season after spending most of the 2025-26 season on the mend due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.

The star forward was well ahead of schedule from such a traumatic injury, returning to play in March and looking like an impact player once again after returning to the parquet.

But, despite averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game after returning from injury, Tatum was hindered by left knee soreness in the playoffs, which kept him off the court for Game 7 against the Sixers en route to a disappointing first-round exit.

Even with that setback, Tatum is looking forward to a regular offseason where he can train normally, without an arduous rehab process.

Tatum expressed gratitude last week at the Auerbach Center for how he was able to respond to what used to be a career-altering injury.​

“The biggest thing for me is I’m proud of the fact that I was able to prove to myself that I could play this game at a very, very high level,” Tatum said. “Even not being 100 percent of myself or what I’m capable of. So now, checking that box off mentally that, because that was a question in my head and there were doubts of, ‘Will I be able to be the same player? Will I be able to play at a high level after this injury?’ Now I’ve proven it and showed that, even at 80-85 percent of myself.”

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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