Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are just a handful of weeks away from beginning their season-long mission to defend their 2023-24 NBA championship.
Or, as coach Joe Mazzulla would say, "attack" their next title rather than defend it.
During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show, host Jimmy Fallon asked Tatum to predict the matchup in next summer's 2025 NBA Finals. His answer? The Celtics, of course, taking on a familiar foe.
"It's going to be a rematch," Tatum said. "We're going to play Dallas again."
I apologize to Jayson Tatum I wasn’t familiar with your game pic.twitter.com/ikYAIxCLdJ
— ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕩⁷⁷ (@clovermars1) September 12, 2024
Celtics. Dallas Mavericks. Book it.
Tatum also had a big prediction for his upcoming 2024-25 season: He's going to be named NBA MVP.
Jayson Tatum on who will win the 2024-25 MVP Award
— 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕮𝖊𝖑𝖙𝖎𝖈𝖘 𝕲𝖑𝖔𝖇𝖊 ☘️ (@CelticsGlobe) September 12, 2024
'Can I say myself?' 👀pic.twitter.com/s2XGHmlNj1
Both of Tatum's predictions shouldn't be considered too much of a stretch. Tatum has made the All-Star team the past five years and has finished in the top six in the NBA MVP vote in each of the last three seasons.
Additionally, the Celtics look to be front-runners in the Eastern Conference again, and the Dallas Mavericks bulked up their rotation by acquiring longtime Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson.
A rematch in the NBA Finals hasn't occurred since the Warriors battled the Cleveland Cavaliers in four straight years from 2015 to 2018.
Tatum and the Celtics will collect their 2024 championship rings and raise the 18th banner in franchise history on Oct. 22 before their season-opening game against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. After that, the title defense is on.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jayson Tatum Had Bold Prediction for 2025 NBA Finals Matchup.
