Following Boston’s 113-98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green asked Tatum whether the Celtics’ consistency over multiple seasons has caused voters to basically overlook him come awards time, including for MVP.

The five-time All-Star responded the “only thing that matters is getting that big trophy.”

With the Boston Celtics punching their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals, Jayson Tatum’s priorities are clearly team success over individual glory.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green questioned Tatum after Boston’s 113-98 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers about if the Celtics’ consistency over several seasons has led voters to essentially ignore him when it comes time for awards, including MVP.

“Getting that big trophy matters,” the five-time All-Star said in response.

Sixth-placed Tatum acknowledged that Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets was the proper winner of this year’s MVP.

The 26-year-old has previously expressed greater candor on the All-NBA voting process. Since he was not selected to any All-NBA teams for the 2020–21 season, the five-year deal he signed with Boston cost him an extra $32.6 million.

Speaking on JJ Redick’s The Old Man and The Three podcast in April 2022, he remarked, “there’s no criteria” and related an instance in which a voter declared they wouldn’t include Tatum on their All-NBA ballot because they didn’t like his shot selection.

To some degree, the Celtics’ failure to win the championship could affect how the media evaluates Tatum in the setting of an awards show. Some argued not so long ago that Jokić should not be voted for MVP in 2021–22 because he had not won a title up to that point.

Every athlete aspires to be MVP because it is a legacy-affirming honor. If Tatum is able to win the Celtics an 18th championship, that might be a more impressive accomplishment on his resume.