Jayson Tatum enters his 10th NBA season with a significantly different Boston Celtics roster, but he believes the team should focus on itself rather than the changes around the Eastern Conference.
Speaking to The Dan Patrick Show, Tatum was asked whether he was more concerned about the Philadelphia 76ers or New York Knicks heading into the 2026-27 season.
“I would say I’m more concerned about the Celtics,” Tatum said with a laugh. “I respect everyone in the league. Obviously, great players and great teams. But from my experience throughout, you know, this going to be my 10th season, we got to worry about us first.”
Tatum’s comments come after a major offseason of change in Boston. The Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the 76ers after failing to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo, receiving Paul George and multiple future draft assets in return.
Brown was coming off a career season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 71 games while finishing sixth in MVP voting. His departure ends a nine-year partnership with Tatum that included five Eastern Conference Finals appearances, two NBA Finals trips and Boston’s 2024 championship.
Tatum addressed that relationship during the same interview, emphasizing the accomplishments they shared.
“For me, I love that guy,” Tatum said of Brown. “What we were able to accomplish together in nine years, right? We went to the conference finals five times. We went to the championship twice. We won a championship.”
Tatum also acknowledged that the NBA’s business side eventually changes even successful partnerships.
“Unfortunately the business of basketball is always going to play a part,” he said. “Nobody has ever played together forever.”
With Brown now in Philadelphia alongside LeBron James, Tatum said he is excited about the broader NBA landscape rather than focusing exclusively on individual opponents.
“I just was kind of excited for the NBA,” Tatum said when asked about James choosing Philadelphia. “I think the buzz and the excitement level around this season is higher than in recent years.”
“There’s a bunch of different guys on new different teams,” he added. “There’s so many storylines that people love to talk about. I think the NBA is going to be super competitive this year and extremely entertaining.”
Boston itself will feature a different supporting cast around Tatum. Paul George joins Payton Pritchard and Derrick White as part of the team’s core, while Mitchell Robinson was added in free agency and Neemias Queta agreed to a four-year, $56 million extension.
Tatum missed most of last season while recovering from his Achilles injury, appearing in 16 regular-season games and averaging 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He said the mental aspect of his recovery was more difficult than the physical process.
Now, with a full offseason to continue his rehabilitation, Tatum is preparing to return to a Celtics team that went 56-26 last season before losing to Philadelphia in seven games in the opening round.
His message about the new-look Celtics is straightforward: the changes around the league matter, but Boston’s attention has to begin internally.
“We got to worry about us first,” Tatum said. “That’s first and foremost.”
