Jayson Tatum explains headband ‘agreement’ with Derrick White
Tatum and White have a deal about when and when not to wear headbands.
Jayson Tatum and Derrick White are continuing to build chemistry on and off the floor.
Earlier this season, Tatum said that he and White have an unwritten rule about addressing the media together when possible. After Monday night’s win against the Hawks, Tatum said he and White are coordinating when and when not to wear headbands as well.
“I used to wear headbands a lot, but it‘s a thing between me and D-White,” Tatum told the media. “Where we did it a few times last year and the year before that. And we have an agreement between the two of us.
“On a random day, one of us walks in and we‘re like, ‘Yo, we gotta wear a headband today,’ the other one gotta agree. I made the call today. So I’ll be waiting for him to tell me the next time we gotta wear a headband.”
Tatum and White were the top two scorers for the Celtics in the win over the Hawks.
Tatum knocked down six of his first nine 3-point attempts before missing the final five. He finished with 28 points and dished out nine assists. White scored 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting, and tied Tatum and Al Horford for the team lead in steals with two each.
Tatum is averaging 30 points per game despite a slight minutes dip (34.6 per game) this season. The Celtics have won four of their eight games by 15 points or more.
“Just trying to read the game,” Tatum said. “We generate good shots more often than not for each other.
“I’m always on the court with some really talented guys and we know how to play off of each other,” he added. “So, it’s just a matter of reading the game and trying to attack the disadvantage that they have, who ever we’re trying to go at on defense, or what we’re trying to accomplish as a team.”
Tatum is setting the tone and making it look effortless, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday said.
“For him, it looks pretty easy. Just coming out playing this game, being comfortable, being a top-5 player in the league like he is,” Holiday said. “He makes it look pretty easy and then I think we just kind of follow suit. He makes the game so much easier for everybody else because of his scoring ability and play-making ability.”
The Celtics split the season series with Atlanta last year, dropping the final two games on the road.
Back-to-back losses for the Celtics have been rare over the past few years, and Tatum said the team wanted to ensure a different result this time around.
“Just understanding what happened last time we came here,” Tatum said. “We lost two games in a row and that was on our mind. We wanted to come out here, play a lot better, and get a win.”
The Celtics return home to take on the Warriors at TD Garden Wednesday night. Golden State coach Steve Kerr benched Tatum twice during the Olympics this summer. Tatum said he’s looking forward to the matchup, but did not list Kerr among the reasons why.
“We’re playing against Steph Curry, somebody that I’m close with and obviously I’m close with Draymond Green. I know it’s a Finals matchup from a few years ago, so from that standpoint, yeah getting to play against those guys. We’ve had a lot of battles over the years. I’m sure it will be fun.”
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