The Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics are two of the premier franchises in the NBA and share one of the most exciting rivalries in the league today. There have been a number of epic postseason battles between the two ball clubs, most recently a seven-game Miami victory in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t mutual respect, however. Whether Paul Pierce and LeBron James or Jayson Tatum and Bam Adebayo, players on either side of the equation have been quick to offer praise or a tip of the hat to their counterparts. Game recognize game, as they say. This was true during a recent interview between Sports Illustrated’s Bobby Krivitsky and Miami Heat great Dwyane Wade.
Wade spoke about his career with the Heat, his routines as he navigates retirement and more. The 13-time All-Star also spoke about Jayson Tatum, offering praise to Boston’s homegrown superstar.
Veteran floor general Derrick White has been officially been named as the Boston Celtics’ starting point guard for the coming 2023-24 NBA season by head coach Joe Mazzulla. https://t.co/dVhFOIowvo
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 30, 2023
“He’s one of my favorite players in the NBA,” Wade said of Tatum. “He’s one of my favorite people in the NBA to communicate with and to talk with, to do anything with, and I want to see him get everything he wants from the game.”
Wade and Tatum overlapped for a season in the NBA. At the time, Tatum was still finding his footing as a pro. Since then, he and fellow star Jaylen Brown have helped lead the Celtics to multiple deep postseason runs. Boston has yet to win a title with that duo, however.
Wade told SI he’s not worried, and that he believes Tatum has the right mindset to use the challenge as a motivation.
“Next up is showing up next year and doing it all over again,” Wade said. “Head up high, keep taking the hits, keep learning from them. I think it’s a challenge. We have challenges in life.”
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 30, 2023
“Right now,” Wade continued. “He’s going through a challenge. He’s had a lot of success in this game but hasn’t had the ultimate success I’m sure he wants. He wants to play for that championship. He wants to win that championship.”
“I want to see him get everything he wants from the game,” Wade said. “But you’ve got to have patience with it as well. Your career doesn’t look like someone else’s; it just doesn’t.”
Tatum excels at attacking defenders off the dribble, keeping them off balance and shooting over the top when they relax. https://t.co/BzRpYVDDpf
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) July 30, 2023
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