Celtics' Jayson Tatum Talks MVP Snub, Says NBA Title Is 'Only Thing That Matters'

Jayson Tatum's focus is squarely on team success rather than individual accolades with the Boston Celtics punching their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Following Boston's 113-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green asked Tatum whether the Celtics' consistency over multiple seasons has caused voters to basically overlook him come awards time, including for MVP.

The five-time All-Star responded the "only thing that matters is getting that big trophy."

Tatum, who placed sixth in the overall voting, conceded the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić was the rightful recipient of this year's MVP.

The 26-year-old has in the past been more candid when it comes to the voting process for All-NBA. He didn't make any All-NBA squad for the 2020-21 season, which cost him an additional $32.6 million for the five-year contract he signed with Boston.

During an appearance on JJ Redick's The Old Man and The Three podcast in April 2022, he said "there's no criteria" and recalled one example where a voter claimed they wouldn't put Tatum on their All-NBA ballot because they didn't like his shot selection.

To some extent, the Celtics' inability to get over the top could impact how members of the media scrutinize Tatum within an awards context. It wasn't that long ago when some cited the absence of a title to that point as a reason against voting for Jokić to win a second straight MVP in 2021-22.

Becoming MVP is a legacy-affirming achievement and something every player strives to earn. For Tatum, leading the Celtics to an 18th championship might be a bigger notch on his résumé if he can make it happen.