Jayson Tatum opens up on being ‘that guy’, admits he needs to play better

Jayson Tatum has had an abysmal run during the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks. He came alive in Game 3 as the Boston Celtics secured a crucial victory to make it a 2-1 series going into Game 4.

There's been no respite from all the social media trolling for Tatum, regardless. He's averaging 19.3 points per game over the first three, and that's simply not good enough for an NBA superstar. He knows the pressures that come with the job very well, though, and he recently spoke about it all.

Jayson Tatum says there’s a lot that comes with being ‘that guy’:

“I live a great life. I make a lot of money… But I'm not perfect. There's times I've needed to play better… That's what comes with being that guy.”

(via @NBA_NewYork)pic.twitter.com/yUFsca9mD2
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 10, 2025

"You understand what comes with being that guy, right? I live a great life, I ain't gonna lie. It's a lot of, I make a lot of money, I take care of my family, I've been able to experience a lot of things. But you also have to accept what comes with that, right?"

"I get a lot of praise, I get a lot of credit, I get a lot of accolades. But, I'm not perfect, and there's times where I've needed to play better, I've needed to do more. And that's what comes with being that guy. So just understanding that and it's not that people don't just criticize me."

Tatum is an NBA champion, and that means he's a certified superstar. The scrutiny he faces is high, but nothing that any other star in the league doesn't deal with. Fans likely don't expect Jayson to be perfect; they'd just like him to shoot better than 32.3% from the field in a very important series.