This quote from Jayson Tatum shows how long the Warriors have dominated the NBA
The 2022 NBA Finals is, in a way, a battle of the old guard vs the new. It’s not totally fair to label the Golden State Warriors “old,” because their superstar core is obviously still playing at a high level. But they’ve been an elite team in the NBA since the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum was in diapers roaming the halls of Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis.
Tatum hammered that context home when he was asked about the Warriors during his pre-NBA Finals media availability on Wednesday. Tatum has been watching Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and others since he was, basically, a kid. He also shared a connection with former Warriors big man David Lee, who played for Golden State from 2011-15.
“I was still in high school [when the Warriors won the NBA Finals in 2015],” Tatum said. “I had just finished my junior year, and David Lee was on that team. David Lee is from St. Louis, we went to the same high school, so I’ve been watching them for a very long time.”
To be fair, this could also be looked at as Tatum being so young. He’s still just 23 years old, which would be like a little boy in “superstar winning his first championship” years. But Curry and the Warriors likely won’t have many more cracks at the title, which should put more pressure on them than the Celtics to win this series.
The Warriors have dealt with major injuries to their stars in recent years, particularly Thompson, and Curry missed time earlier in the 2021-22 season. But now that their core is back together and at full strength, it’s no surprise that they’re once again playing for a championship. The 33-year-old Curry has been vintage in the 2022 playoffs, with 25.9 points and 3.8 three-pointers per game.
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But Tatum has been slightly more productive, with 27.0 points per game. The Curry-Tatum duel will be easily the No. 1 thing to watch in the series.
If Tatum can play his best basketball consistently – and the Celtics can keep Curry in check defensively – then the upstart Boston will have a good chance to vanquish the incumbent Golden State.
Did I mention the Warriors are old?
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
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