Jayson Tatum called on his record against Anthony Edwards when asked about the latter’s trash talk in the Starting 5 documentary.
BOSTON — The most interesting segment from the Netflix Starting 5 documentary featured the moments after an overtime thriller in Minnesota where Anthony Edwards and the Wolves stole a win from the Celtics early last year. Edwards, blowing up plays defensively and draining decisive jumps shots, look on track to ascend to Jayson Tatum’s level or higher. His personality poised to make him the signature American basketball star regardless. Edwards jarred with the Celtics on the floor, but after, the trash talk grew.
“You seen Tatum trying to get me on the switch, locked his ass up two times,” Edwards said in the locker room. “Tatum was talking crazy, saying, ‘Yeah, I’m here,’ then I said, ‘I’m coming again.’ Talking ‘bout best player in the league, y’all trippin’.”
Tatum scored revenge in January at home in another overtime finish before Edwards’ Western Conference Finals struggles following Minnesota’s upset over Denver prevented a Celtics-Wolves Finals. Minnesota overhauled its core earlier this fall, trading Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. The result left a competitive but defanged battle between the two stars. Edwards split time with Randle. Tatum comfortably deferred to a scorching Jaylen Brown as Boston led by as many as 19 points in an eventual two-point win.
Affirmed by a championship, Tatum tried to stay away from the Edwards tit-for-tat. He praised Edwards’ game, recalled their shared Olympic experience and admitted it involved some trash talk. An Adidas commercial for Edwards’ shoe criticized the strength of schedule the Celtics took to the title. Tatum watched the documentary, and when prodded, he dropped the mic on his rival.
“I got a pretty good record against Minnesota,” Tatum said.
It’s true. That trip to Minneapolis last fall remains Tatum’s only loss against Edwards in his career. The changes so far have the 8-8 Wolves looking less consequential in the Celtics’ path to repeating. Edwards and company have pushed Boston each time they play them. The debate over which player would become the most successful young American star appears in the rear view for now. Their difference in charisma keeps the comparison interesting.
Edwards talks, and while it didn’t factor heavily into Sunday’s latest meeting, the Wolves recalled how he found his voice as a rookie. Chris Finch saw his 42 points that March as a turning point where he found the confidence to speak up. Teammates soon heard him encouraging them to keep shooting, invigorating them with his voice and eventually supplanting Towns as the face of the ascending franchise.
“Especially this summer, with him being with the Olympic team, getting to see all those guys and how they lead, much older guys and more experienced guys, I think taking that challenge and that role, understanding this is how I gotta lead for my team,” Naz Reid told CLNS Media/CelticsBlog. “You always seen it in him, but at the same time, he’s 23-24. Things like (leadership) take time, and he’s starting to grasp it completely now … when your leader’s going, I think everybody’s going.”
Tatum explained his embrace of a quieter approach as recently as the Warriors loss earlier this year. He wouldn’t view that first meeting with Steve Kerr as anything personal, playing the game as he would any other. Joe Mazzulla affirmed that when it comes to trash talk, which he said happens in every game, he’s fine with whatever response the Celtics offer as long as they’re executing. He’s kept the same mindset toward arguing with officials and other outside circumstances. Jaylen Brown became an enforcer when Grant Williams laid a hard foul on Tatum earlier this year, and the team rallied around him.
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Brown and Edwards share a relationship stemming back to their shared roots in Atlanta. That background gives Brown understanding on why he functions so vocally, coming up in a basketball scene where trash talk and competitiveness drove play beyond the organized games. Brown doesn’t speak up as much, and with Edwards showing no hesitation in doing so, it puts the Celtics in a unique position when he comes at them with tough talk. They can ignore it, react or squash it, which they did by building such a strong advantage on Sunday.
“It’s basketball. At the end of the day, it’s nothing personal,” Brown said. “Ant is one of the more competitive guys in this league. He’s one of the young superstars, he plays both sides of the ball, he plays hard, he wants to win … I know what type of cloth he’s cut from. To me, it’s normal. I don’t see nothing of it. People should celebrate it more. I think talking is a part of the game. Me, personally … I’m not a huge trash talker. If you get me going, I will.”