Tatum: 'Toughest part' of winning title is Smart, Williams aren't here
Winning an NBA title came with some bittersweet emotions for Jayson Tatum.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Tatum reflected on what it was like to celebrate a championship without his former Boston Celtics teammates Marcus Smart and Robert Williams.
"The toughest part about winning this championship is that Smart isn't here and Rob isn't here," Tatum said. "But I'm so happy that we have Jrue (Holiday) and KP (Kristaps Porzingis). Those guys obviously took us to the next level."
Smart spent nine seasons in Boston before being dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies in June 2023 as part of a three-team trade that sent Porzingis to the Celtics. Williams was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in October 2023 in exchange for Holiday.
With the additions of Holiday and Porzingis, the Celtics finished the 2023-24 season with an NBA-best record of 64-18 and went on a 16-3 run in the playoffs to capture the franchise's 18th championship.