Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum is in the news once again, and surprise, surprise, it has nothing to do with his play on the court. Brandon Jennings called him the softest Celtics superstar ever on a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, which is a podcast hosted by former NBA star Gilbert Arenas.
Since then, Tatum’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, responded to Jennings’ slander on Twitter (to which Jennings challenged Tatum to win MVP). In addition, Tatum responded to the criticism via an Instagram post, writing out Jennings’ statement in miscapitalized letters as a way to mock him. Jannings’ take has gone extremely viral, and everyone has an opinion.
But Joe Mazzulla’s opinion is by far the funniest.
Joe Mazzulla wishes Jayson Tatum could challenge Brandon Jennings to combat
During a recent appearance on Zolak & Bertrand of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Mazzulla spoke about Jennings’ statement, noting that this would be one of the times when he wishes Tatum had a “coin” to use. (H/t Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston)
"First thought was, that's when you use one of your coins," Mazzulla said. "That's a coin. Secondly, I mean, listen, you said it best. I think it’s unfortunate that him in particular, but the players in general have to feel like they have to fight for that constant affirmation.
“And so, the thing that I try to do the most is, ‘We don’t have to be affirmed by other people’s opinions. Jayson is an unbelievable player. He’s been a great player. One of the best Celtics of all-time. The facts speak for itself.”
Joe Mazzulla on Brandon Jennings labeling Tatum as soft: That's when you use a coin@Marc_Bertrand @scottzolak @Tim_McKone @TMorgan985 @tylermilliken_ @kfabrizio985 pic.twitter.com/NvjHBnQvQO
— Zolak & Bertrand (@ZoandBertrand) January 9, 2025
Now, this belief requires some context. Back in October, during another one of Mazzulla’s appearances on the same show, he said that he wished everyone got “coins.” And anytime they wanted to, they could pull out one of their allotted coins and use it as a challenge—a challenge to combat.
"What if we all walked around with like five coins, right? And at any point in time, you can just hand one out, and you just challenge a guy to like, combat,” Mazzulla said. “If you do pull a coin on a guy and he beats you up, like, that’s your fault. You've got to either train harder, or pick and choose your coins better.”
Essentially, Mazzulla’s response to Jennings’ take about Tatum is that he wishes the Celtics superstar could fight him. That’s about the most Mazzulla-esque statement ever.
The notion that being “soft” or “tough” is what wins basketball games in the NBA is utterly ridiculous. If it was true, then Tatum wouldn’t have won a championship with the Celtics last year. He wouldn’t be one of the best players in the NBA. But he did that, and he is that.
