Jayson Tatum's latest comments should have Celtics fans excited for the future

Jayson Tatum signed a five-year, $313.9M supermax contract extension less than a month after he helped the Boston Celtics end a 16-year trophy drought by winning the NBA Championship. Tatum has become the face of the franchise while also striking up a devastating partnership with fellow All-Star forward Jaylen Brown. 

During a recent interview with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, Tatum shared his desire to remain with the Celtics for the remainder of his career.

“For me just to feel wanted, and they want me to be here and want me for the long haul,” Tatum said. “I’ll spend my whole career here and have got nothing but love for the fans, the city, and the organization. You know, we just won a championship and I want to try to win as many as I can.”

Tatum is a fan favorite in Boston. He's the most popular player among the fanbase since Paul Pierce. He's a homegrown talent who has developed into arguably one of the top five players in the world. Keeping Tatum around long-term will ensure Boston remains competitive for the foreseeable future. 

Of course, some segments of the fanbase will take Tatum's comments with a pinch of salt. Kyrie Irving told the Celtics faithful something similar before leaving for the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. 

Tatum's comments feel different, though. He's grown up in the city. He has won at the highest level at the TD Garden. And now, the franchise has made him the highest-paid player in league history.

Brad Stevens has built the Celtics to be genuine contenders for the next three or four years. He has proven himself to be an astute operator in the trade and free-agent markets, and there should be every faith that he can retool the roster when the time comes. 

If Tatum can continue competing for and winning championships and sticks with the Celtics for his entire career, he will go down as one of the greatest Celtics in history. If that doesn't excite the fanbase, nothing will.