"And even if I fall short of that, if I aspire to be as great as he was, and even if you fall a little short, you had a hell of a career," Jayson Tatum said.

Boston’s headlining superstar believes the Celtics, after keeping nearly their entire 2023-24 roster intact, are well-positioned to avoid the post-title cliff that awaited the last five NBA champs, all of whom failed to even reach the conference finals the following season.

Jayson Tatum said that he's motivated by winning more titles with the Celtics, and hopes to one day share the same air as Larry Bird in the franchise's storied history.