Ahead of NBA finals Jayson Tatum praises ex-teammate, calls him 'most talented guy'

After a long NBA season, the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks are set to face each other in the NBA finals starting next Thursday. However, days ahead of the showdown Boston star Jayson Tatum praised Mavericks’ superstar Kyrie Irving. 

While speaking with media about the upcoming final series Jayson spoke about his ex-teammate and Mavericks star Irving. He said that Irving was one of the best talents he had come across. He also said that the 2018-19 season was a team game and it was everyone’s fault. 

"There were some ups and downs, but I think for me, being a first and second-year player, being around a superstar every day and seeing how to navigate that space and then obviously, on the court, he's one of the most talented guys I've ever seen," Tatum told the media.

"It seems like a very long time ago but I have a lot of great memories from having Kai as a teammate," he added. It’s worth noting that after winning the NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 Irving moved to the Celtics. They both played together for the next two seasons. 

'It wasn’t a Kyrie thing', Jayson opens up about the 2018-19 season

In the 2018-19 season, the Boston Celtics faced disappointment with a five-game elimination by the Bucks. While Kyrie Irving received much criticism for the team's shortcomings, Jayson Tatum offers a different perspective. He suggests that it was the team's overall selfishness, including his own, that hindered their success rather than solely blaming Irving.

He said, “You have to have guys that are willing to sacrifice, guys that are willing to do the other things for the team to have a chance, and it wasn’t a Kyrie thing, it was all of us. We all took part in why that season wasn’t a success. You don't always get a second chance, so look at it as a second chance and try to simplify things as much as you can. It's another series that we gotta win.”