Jayson Tatum Finds Ally in Shaquille O’Neal for Minutes as Ex-Buck’s Bold Claim Flips the Script

When Jayson Tatum entered the NBA in 2017, people knew he had star power. And he didn’t let the fans down! Over the years, he’s grown into the Celtics’ cornerstone, leading Boston deep into the postseason. Yet, even with his talent and leadership, doubts surrounding him didn’t stop. Earlier this year, Brandon Jennings sparked a firestorm when he said, “Is [Jayson Tatum] the softest Boston Celtics superstar ever. … I think I’ll be more afraid of Jaylen Brown than Jayson Tatum.” The Celtics star didn’t let it slide. He clapped back on Instagram with a highlight reel and the caption, “SoFtesT SuPeRstar in CeLtiC HiStoRy,” a not-so-subtle jab at his critics. The backlash didn’t end there.

Tatum’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, came to his defense with heat: “A soft player couldn’t lead their team in PTS, REB & AST to a title.” At the time of this comment, the small forward was delivering some class performances. If you look at the first 33 games he played this season, he was averaging 28.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 46 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from the three in 36.4 minutes of action.

Even Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla weighed in earlier, saying, “I don’t agree with that at all… He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve been around.” While those around Jayson Tatum were quick to come to his defense, Jennings didn’t back down and even fired shots at Hanlen at the time! The 35-year-old former Bucks player definitely hit a lot of nerves with his claim. But what turned heads most recently was Shaquille O’Neal’s response.

On The Big Podcast with Shaq, the discussion got real. Adam brought up the viral take, and Jennings doubled down. “The toughness and what the Celtics bring, you know, if you go back to… Larry Bird and KG and all those guys,” he said, referring to Tatum losing Finals MVP to Jaylen Brown. Shaq didn’t argue. He admitted, “Softness is kind of harsh. What other word could you use? ‘Cause I agreed with everything you just said, but I think ‘softness’ is what kind of, um, threw people off.” Jennings added another shot: “I said, uh, he wasn’t a top five Celtic right now of all time.” And Diesel didn’t disagree.

Shaq then opened up about his own experiences. He shared how criticism once made him destroy his house until his mother told him to stop and ask, “Is there any truth in it?” Shaq agreed with Jennings’ calling Tatum “soft,” saying, “It kind of makes sense. So, I mean, but like I said, these guys don’t have the skin we have.” The room got tense when Adam said, “His resume is already Hall of Fame.” Shaq scoffed, “You ever see that movie Ocean’s Thirteen? I’mma break in the Hall of Fame and take all my s— out.” Then he closed with this zinger: “There’s a Bad m—— rs Hall of Fame, and there’s a Basketball Hall of Fame. So, which Hall of Fame is he in?”

So, where does that leave Tatum? A generational scorer, no doubt. But in the eyes of some legends, the badge of toughness still hangs in the balance.

How Carmelo Anthony and Pat Beverley defended Tatum

Back in January, Brandon Jennings made waves with the bold claim. At the time, the take sparked heated debates, but as the season unfolded, it aged poorly. At first, people debated it, maybe even entertained it. But as weeks passed, something shifted. Was it just the numbers Tatum kept putting up, or did the Paris Olympics quietly play a bigger role than anyone expected?

Carmelo Anthony noticed the change right away. On 7PM in Brooklyn, he said, “I think the Olympics. It f—– the perception of Jayson. I think it completely shattered that. It f—— him up.” Melo wasn’t questioning Tatum’s ability; he was pointing to how people interpreted his benching. According to Melo, it wasn’t about skill; it was about public perception. So, for Melo, that moment on the world stage gave people the wrong idea about who Tatum really is.

Following the Olympics, Tatum didn’t lash out. He didn’t post rants or clap back in anger. Instead, he returned to the league and focused on basketball. Melo acknowledged that growth and consistency, adding, “I don’t think we could use soft no more. I don’t think we use anything with JT anymore.” Tatum had redefined himself not with words but with performance.

Patrick Beverley also weighed in back then during an episode of The Pat Bev Podcast with Rone. Beverley didn’t hold anything back. “He doesn’t look like the normal tough guy doesn’t mean he’s not tough. He gets it done,” Beverley said. And he wasn’t done with just this. He added, “When I guarded Brandon Jennings, I was like, ‘Yeah, soft a–.’” Pat didn’t just defend Tatum; he switched the roles and attacked Brandon. Now Jennings was the one being questioned.

Tatum, as always, stayed composed. When asked about the noise, he calmly responded, “It comes with being one of the best players in the league.” No need for long explanations. Just a reminder that greatness often comes under fire.