This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. Here’s Charles Curtis.
I have truly enjoyed watching the ascension of Jayson Tatum to superstar status over the years. As I’ve written before, he was a star for years, but he only broke into the upper upper echelon of the league this past season.
And in Game 6 in what was ultimately a Boston Celtics win over the Philadelphia 76ers, we saw the roller coaster ride of a lifetime for Tatum. He struggled mightily, shooting 1-of-14 at one point and was getting roasted on Twitter for not stepping up when his team needed him the most.
Then? In the fourth quarter, he caught fire, not giving up and leading his team to a huge win, staving off elimination. As he said after the game, “Humbly, I’m one of the best basketball players in the world.” He went on to say his teammates encouraged him to keep shooting.
Jayson Tatum: "Humbly, I'm one of the best basketball players in the world" pic.twitter.com/qpuy8KKNmg
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) May 12, 2023
You know what? I agree. He has reached that status. But now comes a Game 7. I need to see him back up his own words. He can’t start out shooting like that against a relentless Sixers squad, even at home. Sure, being a superstar also means figuring out how to get out of a shooting slump like he did, or playing extra-good defense when your shot isn’t falling and so on.
But if the Celtics have any chance to return to the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond, it’ll rest on Tatum being one of the best basketball players in the world.
Quick Hits: NFL schedule release … NBA mock SZN … Adidas is going to sell Yeezys again? … and more.
— The NFL schedule release gave us some gems on social media, including The Chargers’ second straight epic anime video that trolled their opponents (including using a QR code with the Raiders that was absurd) and the Titans’ Broadway Q&A that led to some funny new nicknames for teams.
— Here are the five best primetime games and seven NFL games that will ultimately decide the playoffs.
— It’s NBA mock draft season, so it’s time for a consensus mock draft that shows who the experts are picking.
— Adidas is reportedly going to sell Yeezys again. Really?
— The Hurricanes used Cameo and some New Jersey celebs to troll the eliminated Devils. LOL!
