Jayson Tatum said he will set aside his friendship with Paolo Banchero when his Boston Celtics take on the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.
“It’s just shifting your mindset to — it’s the playoffs,” Tatum said via SB Nation’s Noa Dalzell. “Just having the understanding that — no friends out there. Nothing else matters besides doing everything I can to help my team win. There’s not really time for anything else.”
“That’s how it should be. He’s (Banchero) trying to lead his team in the playoffs and figure out ways to win, and I’m trying to do the same thing,” he added.
Tatum and Banchero have formed a friendship because of their Duke roots, and their matchup will be fun. The Boston Celtics and the Orlando Magic will square off in the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals, where the former won in six games.
Boston Celtics News: Jayson Tatum enters Larry Bird territory in latest feat
The Boston Celtics recently announced that Jayson Tatum became the first player since Larry Bird to lead the team in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals in a season multiple times.
During the 2024-25 regular season, Tatum posted 1,932 points, 623 rebounds, 431 assists, and 76 steals. He also achieved this feat during the 2020-21 campaign.
The one-time NBA champion finished his eighth season averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals on 45.2 percent shooting from the field across 72 starts.
