But success in Boston isn’t based on numbers. It’s about banners. And as the failures piled up—three conference-final losses and a six-game flop to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 Finals in Tatum’s first six seasons—doubt slowly crept in. In the weeks after the loss to the Warriors, Tatum admitted to a full-blown crisis of confidence. “That was the first time where I thought, I don’t know, maybe I’m not one of the guys that can be the best player on the championship team,” Tatum says. “Because it was so hard to get to the Finals. And we still didn’t win. Getting there, that was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I was drained. That summer I had moments thinking that maybe you have to be a legend to win a championship. And there were moments where I wondered if I was going to be that guy, just because of how hard it is.” -via Sports Illustrated / July 26, 2024