Jayson Tatum Channels Kanye West Following Boston Celtics’ NBA Championship Victory
Kanye West’s unwavering self-confidence has always been a hallmark of his persona, and it appears NBA star Jayson Tatum has drawn inspiration from this attitude.
On Monday, June 17, the Boston Celtics clinched their 18th championship by defeating the Dallas Mavericks in a best-of-seven series, winning four games to one.
During the post-game celebration, the five-time All-Star referenced Kanye West’s acceptance speech for Best Rap Album (The College Dropout) at the 47th Grammy Awards in 2005.
As he held the Larry O’Brien Trophy, Tatum said to the cheering crowd, “I know everybody will wonder what would happen if we didn’t win. I guess we’ll never know.”
The Celtics received a boost last week when Lil B blessed the team after they went up three games to none against the Mavericks.
Before losing their first finals game in Game 4, the Oakland rapper endorsed the Celtics during an interview with Barstool Backstage, praising the team’s resilience and tenacity.
“It’s a respect for the whole Celtics, and I appreciate how they’ve kept the team together,” Lil B remarked, highlighting their perseverance. “They don’t give up on the squad. It’s like, okay, stuff happens, but they get there.”
Lil B, known for his self-proclaimed powers as the BasedGod, often finds his name mentioned in professional basketball circles.
In 2016, he claimed credit for the Golden State Warriors’ record-breaking winning season and for James Harden’s dubious record of most turnovers in NBA history that year.
“The power of ‘The BasedGod’s’ curse made James Harden get record most turnovers this year and the Warriors NBA most wins record – Lil B,” he tweeted.
The Warriors set a league record with 73 wins in a single season, while Harden was first cursed by Lil B in early 2015 for not crediting the “Wonton Soup” rapper with the celebratory cooking dance Harden performed during games.
After repeatedly lifting and reimposing the curse, Lil B announced in 2017 that he had finally decided to lift it following the Houston Rockets’ significant loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Tatum’s allusion to Kanye’s speech and Lil B’s mystical endorsement highlight the unique ways in which cultural figures intersect with sports, imbuing the athletic world with a sense of drama and narrative beyond the games themselves.
