Jayson Tatum’s Viral Moment Bad Look For Him, But Sure Great For Cavs

March 1, 2025

Jayson Tatum is going viral, and it’s not necessarily because he had a fantastic NBA stat line against the Cavaliers. It’s because of something he said that was caught on camera, and is being played over and over again on social media.

As you know, Tatum and the Celtics built a 25-3 lead over the Cavs on Friday night in Boston, seemingly unable to miss along the way.

That’s when Tatum became over-the-top animated, telling the Cavs to “get … outta here.” He threw in an expletive for good measure.

The Celtics slowly but surely proceeded to choke away the game. Or more accurately, the Cavs tightened up the defense in the second half and took over. It was a comeback for the ages and is just one example of why this Cavs team has been so special.

At 49-10, the Cavs hold an eight-game lead over the Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. It would take a total team meltdown for the Cavs to give that up and finish second. But as we saw Friday, Tatum and the Celtics are the ones who seem more capable of melting down.

This has been a historic season for Cleveland pro basketball. The fact the Celtics were missing starters Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday hardly applies here (despite the fact Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson graciously mentioned it repeatedly). When you build a 25-3 lead at home and are on absolute fire … well, you don’t choke it away. I don’t care if you’re the Charlotte Hornets or Washington Wizards.

It’s certainly not acceptable when you’re the defending champs. The Celtics did, after all, still have their top two players in Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

But the Cavs have Donovan Mitchell, and stats aside, Mitchell was the best player on the court on Friday night. Evan Mobley and Darius Garland also delivered when it mattered most. Tatum did not, as his final last-gasp 3-pointer was partially blocked by Cavs newcomer De’Andre Hunter.

Earlier in the game, Hunter continuously got switched off Tatum. But Hunter shut him down when he had to. If these teams meet in the NBA playoffs and the Cavs can keep Hunter on Tatum for the majority of the game (unlike Friday), they very well could bounce the champs.

Either way, they’re talking about the Cavs again nationally. Not quite as much as the LeBron James days, but a lot more than usual in the Core Four era. And frankly, Tatum is a big reason for that.

But mostly, so are the Cavs. If you’re not taking them seriously yet, you’d better start soon.