Jayson Tatum said something this week that made NBA fans stop scrolling, laugh, argue and then laugh again. According to Tatum, if he played for the Memphis Grizzlies, he would already have a statue outside the arena. Yes, a statue!
Now let’s set the scene. Tatum is a superstar, no debate there. He scores, he defends, he smiles politely while dropping 40. He’s the face of the Boston Celtics. A franchise with banners older than most Twitter users. And even in Boston, statues are not handed out like free T-shirts.
So when Tatum casually tossed out the statue comment, people raised eyebrows, Memphis fans especially. The Grizzlies are still writing their history. They love their stars. But a statue? That’s sacred territory. You don’t just wake up and get one because you’re really good at step-back threes.
“The career I have right now if I had it with the Grizzlies, I would have a statue outside the arena right now”
— Jayson Tatum on the pressure of living up the the legends who played for Boston 😭
(Via @thepivot) pic.twitter.com/AsvqfVcpbo
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) January 27, 2026
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum appeared on The Pivot podcast to discuss the pressures of playing in Boston, and he used the Grizzlies as an example of NBA ineptitude to get his point across.
“The career I have right now, if I had it with the Grizzlies, I would have a statue outside the arena,” said Tatum, per NBA Courtside on X, formerly Twitter.
While Tatum would certainly be on the short list of most accomplished Grizzlies, he also likely would not have anywhere near the postseason success he currently has if he had been drafted somewhere other than Boston, becoming a rare top-three pick to join a team that had been the number one seed in its conference the previous season.
Boston fans had mixed feelings. Some laughed it off, others rolled their eyes. A few reminded everyone that Boston legends have rings. Multiple and some of them still don’t have statues. That city does not play about history.
Meanwhile, Memphis fans took it personally. They think Jayson is looking down on the Grizzlies and that’s unacceptable!
At the end of the day, this was likely just a joke or a confident flex or both. Tatum has always believed in himself a little too much sometimes. That’s part of the package.
Still, the image is hilarious. A shiny Jayson Tatum statue outside a Memphis arena he never played in. Hands up, smooth jumper form and plaque reading, “He would’ve been great here.”
That’s art!
