BOSTON Celtics power forward Jayson Tatum appeared to burst into tears on Monday night after the team secured their record 18th NBA Championship.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla’s team secured the title with a 106-88 Game 5 win against the Dallas Mavericks in Boston.
Jayson Tatum shared a sweet moment with his son Deuce after the win
Tatum led the game with 31 points
This latest win means the Celtics now have the all-time lead in total wins, overtaking the Los Angeles Lakers who are on 17.
Tears seemingly began to fall for Jayson Tatum with just over 30 seconds remaining on the clock as the buzzer neared.
After their win was finalized, Tatum broke down again in a moving moment as he celebrated the win with his son Deuce on the court.
“We did it!” Tatum could be heard telling Deuce as the two hugged while confetti rained from the rafters.
“Oh my god…It’s a surreal feeling. We did it. We did it! Oh my god, we did it,” Tatum later told ESPN’s Lisa Salters.
“First of all, God is the greatest. Not because we won, but to put me in positions to maximize my God-given ability.
“To surround me with these guys. My family. This is an incredible feeling. I’m lost for words. I’m sorry.”
Tatum later labeled his teammates “a resilient group,” adding, “We’ve been through a lot as a team.
“Over this last couple of years…seven years. What are they going to say now?”
And while this win clearly meant a lot on its own, he added that it meant that much more knowing it made his teammate Al Horford a champion.
“He don’t have much time left out here,” Tatum admitted.
“Thats my favorite teammate of all time. He paved the way for a lot of us, and it means the world to share it with him.”
Tatum finished the game with a team-high 31 points and 11 rebounds, as well as eight assists.
Meanwhile, teammate Jaylen Brown was named the Finals MVP, totaling 21 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on the night.
“It was a full team effort and I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum. He was with me the whole way,” Brown told Salters after hoisting aloft the Bill Russell Award.
The Celtics were dominant throughout Game 5, bouncing back in a big way after their blowout 122-84 loss in Dallas on Friday.
The Celtics dominated the entire fifth game, making a significant comeback after their crushing 122-84 loss in Dallas on Friday.
Kyrie Irving was limited to just 15 points, 9 assists, and 3 rebounds by them.
Luke Doncic, a teammate, finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.
Boston’s victory in the Finals was only their second since 1986 and their first since 2008.
It happened only in coach Mazzulla’s second year of leadership.
Jaylen Brown was named the Finals MVP
Head coach Joe Mazzulla won the title in just his second season in charge