As confetti fell from the rafters following Boston’s Game 5 win over Dallas to capture the 2024 NBA title, Jayson Tatum celebrated with his mother by repeatedly asking, “What they gon’ say now?”

The question became a go-to phrase during the Celtics’ celebration as Tatum displayed his self-awareness by acknowledging the criticisms that have come his way since his breakout rookie season some six years ago.

Ahead of the NBA Finals, Tatum jokingly responded, “Think so?” when a reporter prefaced a question by saying that he has been one of the most scrutinized players in the NBA. With an NBA title to his name, Tatum is now singing a different tune to address the doubters, one that displays that same level of self-awareness with a new level of confidence.

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Jayson Tatum sends clear message to doubters after Celtics championship

As Tatum prepares to try to help lead Team USA to its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal, he entered training camp with a new haircut and a new mentality. 

During his time with the media, Tatum acknowledged debates about his ability to be a key player on a championship team and his status as a top-five player in the league. With the weight of these discussions “100 percent” lifted off of his shoulders, Tatum acknowledged the nature of his doubters from a much more confident perspective.

“There’s still a lot of things I guess they can debate,” Tatum said. “But now I’ve done something that they can’t debate: I’ve won a championship. Having that under my belt, like obviously it’s still conversations to be had or whatever people want to say, but they always got to refer to me as an NBA champion.”

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While he narrowly missed out on Finals MVP honors to Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown, there’s no denying Tatum’s importance to Boston’s 18th NBA title as he led the team in scoring, rebounding and assists throughout the postseason.

Two weeks to the date of the Celtics’ title-clinching win, Tatum signed a five-year, $314 million contract extension that currently stands as the largest deal in NBA history, keeping him in Boston for the long haul.

And while Tatum’s elite status may still be the subject of countless debates, he has accomplished one undeniable feat and has his eyes on another. After playing a key role in Team USA’s run to gold in Tokyo, the five-time All-Star now has an opportunity to join the elite list of players to win an NBA championship and Olympic gold in the same year.

If Tatum can add that to an already-impressive 2024, he’ll surely have even clearer messages to send his doubters’ way.