Jayson Tatum is one of the best public speakers the NBA has in a player.

He’s always composed, precise, and his statements come across as heartfelt and relatable when he speaks.

Tatum doesn’t misspeak. He’s calculated and in control when he’s in front of a room. And that’s what happened over the weekend during a basketball camp he put on through his foundation.

During a portion of the camp, Tatum was speaking in front of his players to deliver a message about what it’s like to be a leader and to be a good teammate.

He made a comment during his message, however, that could be perceived as throwing shade at his former teammate, Jaylen Brown.

“Being a leader doesn’t mean you know it all, right? I don’t know it all. I’ll be the first person to say that. Being a leader is being comfortable with raising your hand like, ‘I don’t know, can you explain that to me?’ I don’t know what to explain to you. I want to learn, right? Being around somebody that feels like they know it all, I don’t wanna be around that person. I don’t wanna be the smartest person in the room, I want to learn from somebody else.”

There are many things that standout in Tatum’s speech to his players, but I don’t believe this is him taking any shots at Brown and I’d like to explain why.

To start, Tatum’s camp was filled with players who were maybe 10-years-old (or younger) from the snippet of the video that was released. Tatum, a father of two with his oldest son, Deuce, being eight-years-old. He knows how to communicate with kids, what to say for them to understand, and how to approach it in a way that kids will retain information.

It’s fair to say that some of the lessons Tatum is teaching to his son will also resonate with his campers who are in the age range to his son. Knowing what he says to his son helps him communicate with kids in a way that most professional athletes in his position are unable to do.

Secondly, Tatum has contributed to two children’s books. I feel this is important to mention because it’s another example of him communicating with kids and knowing what to say.

He visits schools to read his book to elementary students in a fun and interactive way. He is not out of touch with the words he chooses when he talks to children, whether on a basketball court or in a classroom, Tatum gets it.

The part of Tatum’s speech that is being taken out of proportion and used as a jab towards Brown is the “smartest person in the room” comment. This phrase is still fresh in our minds because it was recently reported that an NBA executive said this about Brown. Keep in mind that Tatum is explaining to his young players about being a leader and a good teammate and what goes into that.

Thirdly, Tatum is a self-reserved guy, and I find it hard to believe that he would send a subliminal message towards Brown during a public setting or through children. It would be tasteless of him and that’s not what he’s about.

For the last nine years, the narrative around the league has been to split the Jays up and that they’ll never win a championship together for Boston. And for the last nine years, Tatum and Brown went to work every day blocking out the noise and just working every day to better the team.

As a result, Tatum and Brown led the Celtics to five Eastern Conference Finals, two NBA Finals, and won a championship together. They both have earned Eastern Conference Finals MVP and will always be respected as one of the best duos in NBA history.

All in all, rather than picking apart a speech that Tatum delivered to kids to find a hidden message, perhaps it would be best to acknowledge what an honor it’s been for the last nine-years as Celtics fans.

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