Jayson Tatum SPEAKS | Why Media Access Signals Tatum Return Could Happen SOON

Summary

Locked On Celtics – Jayson Tatum SPEAKS | Why Media Access Signals Tatum Return Could Happen SOON
Host: John Karalis (with guest Tom Westerholm)
Original Air Date: February 11, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on Jayson Tatum’s first media availability since his Achilles injury, discussing why this is a pivotal sign for his imminent return to play. John Karalis and Tom Westerholm break down what Tatum shared, the significance behind his words (and silences), and offer insight into the ramp-up process for his recovery. The episode closes with a lively conversation about Jalen Brown’s reaction to recent NBA fights and whether the Celtics need more of an “edge” on the court.

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Key Segment 1: Jayson Tatum Meets the Media – Why This Is Big News

Timestamps: 01:27–12:00

• Jayson Tatum’s First Media Appearance Post-Injury

  • Main Point: For the first time since Media Day, Tatum addressed the media, talking for about 9–10 minutes after practicing fully.
  • Tatum gave classic “measured” answers, not tipping his hand about a specific return date.
  • Quote:
    “He… gave a few updates that are important, but I don’t know, like, he. I might come back. I might not. Like, I’m not saying I will or I won’t… He saves all the good stuff for, like, the football player podcast.”
    – John Karalis (03:38)

• Media Game & Tatum’s Two Public Personas

  • The hosts joke about Tatum being much more open with friends or national media than in front of local beat reporters.
  • Quote:
    “When people say they hate the media, I promise you’re not actually like, you think you’re talking about the beat writers, but you’re not talking about the beat writers.”
    – Tom Westerholm (06:08)

• Why Media Access Means He’s REALLY Close to Returning

  • NBA rules require a player with a long-term injury to meet with media after returning to practice, signaling Tatum has started the "ramp-up" phase.
  • Quote:
    “The fact that he’s talking to the media is important. Not because we’re important… Because the NBA rules are after you start practicing, an injured player with a long-term injury must meet the media… So Jason Tatum, now we have now broken the seal…”
    – John Karalis (07:16)
  • Tatum practicing full-court 5-on-5 (even if just against G-League and two-way players) is a strong sign the Achilles is fully healed.

• Timeline Speculation for Return

  • Tom and John speculate that Tatum’s media session means a return is likely after the All-Star break—somewhere between Feb 27th and early March.
  • Quote:
    “I think we’re looking at a matter of a couple of weeks.”
    – Tom Westerholm (10:01)

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Key Segment 2: The Ramp-Up Phase – Physical & Mental Hurdles

Timestamps: 15:45–18:24

• Why Tatum Isn’t Giving a Firm Return Date

  • Focus shifts to the “ramp-up” as the most unpredictable part of an Achilles recovery—this is not just about whether the tendon has healed, but how quickly Tatum can perform at NBA speed and react physically.
  • Quote:
    “Now comes the… your brain sends the signals to the feet. Can the feet do the things the brain wants it to do? How quickly can you do it? When can you start doing it at an NBA level?”
    – John Karalis (16:54)

• Tatum’s Noncommittal Language: Smokescreen or Safeguard?

  • Tom calls out Tatum’s repeated “I don’t know if I’m coming back this season” as “being overly safe… mythmaking a little bit.”
  • Quote:
    “It is kind of funny that he keeps hammering the ‘I don’t know if I’m coming back this season’ because that feels like a slight exaggeration to me… feels slightly like the Tatum, you know, myth making.”
    – Tom Westerholm (17:12)

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Key Segment 3: Tatum’s Vulnerability & Team Dynamics

Timestamps: 18:24–24:44

• On Expressing Hesitation About Returning

  • John recounts asking Tatum about a previous admission of “hesitation”—was he worried about disrupting chemistry with the team thriving in his absence?

  • Quote:
    “Just over 39 weeks, you have a lot of time on your hands, you think about a lot of things, and you’re just hyper aware of what’s going on… these guys have been playing extremely well. And not to say that it would come in and mess it up or anything like that. It was just kind of being vulnerable, I guess, for a moment…”
    – Jayson Tatum (John reading Tatum’s quote, 19:13)

  • The hosts note Tatum sounded a bit annoyed being pressed on this, maybe because he gets more personal only with players or on friendlier podcasts.

  • Tom speculates Tatum was “just trying to be vulnerable… wanted this moment with people I trusted… I don’t trust you [the beat writers].”

  • John argues that public comments eventually demand clarification from the media—even if players don’t like being asked.

• Tatum’s Team-First Mentality

  • The discussion highlights how Tatum has been very present and supportive with the team during his rehab, standing up on the bench, encouraging young players, and staying engaged.
  • Quote:
    “He’s been there all the time, like, you know, hyping people up, standing up on the bench… He really does have a sense of everything that’s been happening.”
    – Tom Westerholm (24:05)

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Key Segment 4: Jalen Brown’s Take on NBA Fights & Celtics “Edge”

Timestamps: 25:10–39:14

• Jalen Brown’s Reaction to Pistons/Hornets Fight

  • While live streaming, Brown said, “We need more of this on the Celtics” after seeing NBA players get physical in a recent melee.
  • Quote:
    “He’s like, listen, he’s talking to Adam Silver. Like, you know, this is good for ratings, man. People like, this is… Some of this is okay. And then he was like, you know, we. We need more of this. On the Celtics where I was like, oh, well, that is interesting for you to say.”
    – John Karalis (28:13)

• Do the Celtics Lack an “Enforcer”?

  • The hosts discuss whether Boston’s roster is missing a physical player who won’t back down, especially after Marcus Smart’s departure.

  • John reminisces about the days of “hard fouls” and self-policing moments—acknowledges those are mostly gone from today’s more tightly officiated NBA.

  • Quote:
    “I still feel like enforcer is not the right word, but I still feel like whatever the… Maybe I'll just say enforcer because I still like the idea of that. The Celtics don't have that guy. There's no doubt about that.”
    – John Karalis (35:44)

  • Tom counters that the team has developed a “professionalism” identity, not needing a traditional tough guy.

  • Humorous Note:
    Shoutout to Duncan Robinson for being the most nonchalant in the brawl:
    “Duncan Robinson was easily the funniest of everybody. Just kind of like not really into it. Like, oh yeah, here we go again.”
    – Tom Westerholm (30:04)

• Specific Game Example

  • Reference to a game vs. the Bucks where Bobby Portis was hyping the crowd and, in John’s view, nobody stepped up to prevent the team from being “punked” (“Somebody needs to come over and just be like, no, we’re not letting you punk us…” – John, 36:02).

• Potential for a New Enforcer?

  • Suggestion that young big man Ugo González could grow into that energizing, tough role.
  • Quote:
    “Ugo might become that guy… people will hate Ugo if he becomes that guy, though, because he’s already flying around out there.”
    – Tom Westerholm (38:43)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tatum’s calculated non-answers:
  “He saves all the good stuff for, like, the football player podcast.” – John Karalis (03:38)

• On why public comments will always get media follow-ups:
  “When you say something, I have to ask about it. I have to know, like, what did you mean? Like, what did you say? Because there is no follow up from those guys. There shouldn't be. They're just… you're just four dudes talking.” – John Karalis (22:10)

• On “Old School” Edge:
  “I come from an old school basketball kind of mentality. I, I believe in the value of the hard foul. Now, you can’t do that anymore because it’s a flagrant…” – John Karalis (31:25)

• On Celtics’ Identity:
  “Everybody on the team or so many players on the team have this. Really everybody. Even like ugo, right. Your 19 year old is a fairly professional dude. You just have a team full of professionals.” – Tom Westerholm (30:56)

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Key Takeaways & Flow of Conversation

• Tatum’s Media Access = Nearing Return:
  By NBA rule, players only have this sort of media session when they're close to playing—a big development for Celtics fans.

• Playing it Safe Publicly:
  Tatum is cautious providing timelines or making promises. He’s entered a physical/mental "ramp-up" where day-to-day progress is impossible to predict.

• Celtics’ Chemistry & Vulnerability:
  Tatum’s acknowledgment of the team’s success in his absence—despite some reluctance to discuss it publicly—shows a self-awareness and humility that’s appreciated by the hosts.

• Do the Celtics Need More “Edge?”
  Drawing from Jalen Brown’s comments and John’s nostalgia, the discussion debates if Boston’s professional, composed demeanor lacks the intimidation factor once typified by Marcus Smart and historic enforcers—ultimately concluding that while “edge” has value, professionalism and winning are working for this group.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Tatum’s Media Availability and Recovery Status: 03:36–12:00
• Why League-Mandated Media Access Matters: 07:16–08:29
• Tatum’s Hesitation and Vulnerability: 18:24–24:44
• Jalen Brown/Team Edge Discussion Begins: 25:10
• Old School vs. New School Toughness: 31:25
• Potential for a Celtics Enforcer: 35:08–38:43

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Tone: Insightful, good-natured banter, deep but accessible analysis; the hosts are knowledgeable, self-deprecating, and occasionally nostalgic for old-school NBA physicality.

For Listeners Who Missed It:
This episode breaks important news—Tatum is genuinely close to returning, and though he’s publicly hedging with the media, all signs (NBA rules, 5-on-5 practice, and even his visible frustration at repeated questions) indicate a likely post-All-Star break comeback. The show also delivers a fun, thoughtful reflection on toughness and identity, questioning how much “fight” this Celtics team really needs, and who among the young players could step into that role if called upon.

Transcript

[John Corrales]

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[Tom Westerholm]

So cool.

[John Corrales]

Now on the Locked On Celtics Podcast, Jayson Tatum finally meets the media and explains how his rehab is going. Locked on Celtics Pod. Home of the winners, baby. And welcome back to the Lockdown Celtics Podcast right here on the Lockdown Podcast Network where it's your team every day. Your team's the Boston Celtics and I talk about them Monday through Friday. I've got bonus podcasts when they eventually get back to playing on the weekends, so make sure you're subscribed to get all of the bonus content. It's everywhere podcast exists. It's on YouTube. If you're new to the show, I'm John Corrales, beat writer covering the Celtics for Celtics on SI. I've been covering this team for about 20 years now, doing this podcast for 10, and I've written a couple of books about the team. Today's show is brought to you by FanDuel. Winter Games are on and there's no better way to follow them than with a bet on FanDuel. FanDuel play your game later. On third segment, we're going to talk about Jalen Brown, who had some interesting comments in response to the Detroit Pistons Charlotte Hornets fight what he wants to see from the Celtics. If you haven't seen those comments, we'll talk about that in the third segment. The first two segments are dedicated to Jason Tatum, who has not only practiced, but for the first time since Media Day, met the media, talked to the media. That's actually a kind of important development, and I'm going to tell you why after I introduce Tom Westerholm, everybody. Now, that said explosion, and I didn't think that was gonna go.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, that. That was. That was kind of disappointing. Can you boo yourself? I agree. I agree.

[John Corrales]

This one says punch. I don't know what this is. Oh, God, that lame, weak.

[Tom Westerholm]

That. That. That punch was brought to you by Isaiah Stewart, coming, flying and off the bench. Actually, that punch was brought to you by Miles Bridges.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Little. We're gonna get a little. That's actually appropriate for most basketball fights. That. That is the punch you mostly get from basketball fights.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, Little.

[John Corrales]

It's more like a smack. Hold on. Yeah, that's not a punch. That's completely mislabeled. Don't give me that. All right, we'll save that for the. Later on. Jason Tatum talked to the media and. And typical Jason Tatum, kind of. There's two Jason Tatums. There's the one who talks to the national media and podcasts with other athletes where he's engaging and vulnerable and all of that stuff. Then there's the Jason Tatum who stands in a scrum in front of the beat writers and is very, like, measured and doesn't really say much. He Talked for, like, nine minutes or so, 10 minutes or so, and gave, you know, talking about, hey, you feel good? And practice. Did 5 on 5 and gave a few updates that are important, but I don't know, like, he. I might come back. I might not. Like, I'm not saying I will or I won't and just kind of like, okay, Jason, give. Give us something. He saves all the good stuff for, like, the football player podcast.

[Tom Westerholm]

That's right. Yeah. I. He pretty clearly was not gonna give you guys just. Which was kind of. I mean, like, you know, I. Very frustrating when you're a beat writer. Like, you know what? Honestly, like, I love you guys. I get it now that it's. It's a little funny watching him just kind of be like, yeah, no, I'm not gonna put a percentage on it at all. I. I don't know. I might come back. I might not come back. How's that taste?

[John Corrales]

That's right. It's funny. It's funny because I know. I know people. There's this weird, like, ecosystem, right, where the athletes are. The athletes, the beat writers. We're also not, like, people either.

[Tom Westerholm]

Right.

[John Corrales]

The players aren't people. They're robots.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yes.

[John Corrales]

Reporters aren't people either. They're just morons.

[Tom Westerholm]

You're like, you are lower than the robots.

[John Corrales]

For sure. We're definitely lower than the. We're, we're the stuff the, the robots stepped in.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yes.

[John Corrales]

On their way.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yes.

[John Corrales]

And people relish. There's no doubt that they're going to be people who like listen to this stuff and they're like, ah, these guys, they're more. Good, good. I'm glad Jason didn't give him anything, which is like part of the, part of the job. It's fine.

[Tom Westerholm]

But also, but it's also funny because it's, it's very misdirected because again, I mean we, you and I have talked about this a million times.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

When people say they hate the media, I promise you're not actually like, you think you're talking about the beat writers, but you're not talking about the beat writers. That's not media that people think they're talking about when they say I hate what. Anyway.

[John Corrales]

But anyway. So the calling from Jason's thing is that I think the most important thing is when I asked him what are the next steps you have to take?

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

His answer just more conditioning, more live things. Getting acclimated to playing 5 on 5 in contact and stuff like that. So I can infer from that and you tell me if I'm wrong. The Achilles fully healed.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yep.

[John Corrales]

You don't, you don't play 5 on 5 basketball unless your Achilles tendon is fully healed.

[Tom Westerholm]

You don't contact if you're.

[John Corrales]

Don't take contact. Right. And Shams put out his report that it was like he played in the five on five scrimmage. Great. So he, Sean was like. It was rostered teammates. Yeah. Ugo Gonzalez and Amari Williams. G league players and two way guys. Like that's, that's what it was. So the Achilles is fully healed. That means we're in the ramp up process. This, this is very important. So. And I just said the, the fact that he's talking to the media is important. Not because we're important or anything like that. No, because the NBA rules are after you start practicing, an injured player with a long term injury must meet the media. And then league rules give at least a weekly update. That's the. So Jason Tatum, now we have now broken the seal. Right. Anybody who knows that you've had a night of drinking, the first time you go and you break the seal, now you got to go to the bathroom every five minutes. Welcome to Jason Tatum now speaking to the media every week. We're getting into that play. We're starting to get, like, a little bit more regular updates. So that's. That's where we are. Tatum is ramping up, and he's going to be talking a lot more. We are getting Tom close. We are getting close. He can say I might or might not return, but there's no way we're not getting close to him returning.

[Tom Westerholm]

You want to know why? Because Tatum knows that, and he knows now that he's going to have to talk to you guys, and he doesn't want to keep answering the same questions every single week. Like, they would not have done this if. I mean, like, listen, this is a total guess. This is just total reading things, obviously, but they would not be doing this if Tatum was not quite close because he doesn't want to give a bunch of these. I doubt he wants. Honestly, I doubt he wants to give another one. You know what I mean? Like, I think we're quite close because I don't think Tatum wants to do that a second time. I think the next time he talks to you guys, he probably wants to be doing it after his actual return.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

And now, obviously, Right. We've got. He's got the All Star break.

[John Corrales]

That's right.

[Tom Westerholm]

Got this. He's got this extra built in time that he can keep rehabbing. I mean, like, I. Like, I don't know how you feel. I would be stunned, obviously, if all of a sudden we got a. Oh, Tatum's questionable tomorrow. Like, I don't think that's what's happening here, but I do think that what he has now is he got that one out of the way now. He has this whole week off to play basketball against the G League guys or the two way guys or, you know, the coaches, whoever's at the facility, whoever's sticking around, he has this opportunity to play against them again, and presumably they won't make him talk over the All Star break. So then. And then, by the way, they get to be out of town. So that might buy him a little extra time, like, who knows? But one way or the other, I think that it's. I think we're looking at a matter of a couple of weeks.

[John Corrales]

That's correct. I think that's correct. Because you're right, he's. He doesn't want to talk to us any more than he has to. Yeah. So All Star break next week. He's probably not talking at Golden State. Maybe he speaks on. He could speak somewhere on the Road. But you can argue that the following week, the All Star break doesn't count. So you've got at la off day at Phoenix, at Denver. We know he'll be in Phoenix because he's going to be golfing.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yes.

[John Corrales]

Day off. And then Brooklyn, February 27th.

[Tom Westerholm]

He might meet up with everybody in Phoenix.

[John Corrales]

Right. And, and they might, they might even say, well, he's not on this road trip.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, yeah.

[John Corrales]

You know, so they could, they could whatever. But we're looking at. When I've said it, I've said early March from the beginning. Now I got a little swept up in the, you know, oh, maybe he can get back a little earlier. But I, from the beginning, have said early March. February 27th is close to early March.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yes.

[John Corrales]

Brooklyn game.

[Tom Westerholm]

But that one's me. If he's, if he's February 27th. That is my dub because that's the one that I said. I said, I literally said if he back against the Knicks, I'd come back February 27th against the Nets when it's a little lower pressure. So if that's the one. Yeah, it's your boy.

[John Corrales]

It's your boy. Yes. I'm, I'm saying it's either the fourth or the sixth, Charlotte or Dallas. That's, that's kind of been my target from the beginning. March 4th. Ish. So that, that really leaves him. Look, we're recording this on February 10th. So yeah, he. Today, he said is 39 weeks. So 40, 41, 42 weeks. And that's, that's, we're in the nine month range. This is perfectly timed for him. Let's, let's take a break here. We'll come back to continue the, the Tatum conversation. What's, what's next? What can we expect? We'll do that when we come back. That's not the button, John. Let's try it again. I'm not editing this out. Whenever I screw up, I leave it in because people know that I'm a moron. Today's show is brought to you by. Indeed, hiring should not take over your life. It's difficult to hire. And, you know, look, I've been there. I've tried to hire people before. Getting a stack of resumes sucks. You need to find the right person, not just somebody who's willing to take your job. 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I've been to arenas that I've never been to before, so the view from the seat is an important feature. You just it shows you what you're going to see and the zone deals. Those are where you pick the seats, the picks the section. Game Time picks the seats and you save money that way. It's great for last minute options, so check it out. Get Take the guesswork out of buying NBA tickets with Game time. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use the code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. That's L O C K E D O N locked on for $20 off. Download the Game Time app today. Remember it's Gametime Co on the web gametime co not.com thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. If you're an everydayer, thank you for being here every Monday through Friday. Join the Everydayer club. You get five for $5 a month or $50 for the year. You get access to our Discord server chats between you and other Celtics fans, you and NBA fans. You, you get ad free audio compatible with all major podcasting apps and a whole lot more. It's at lockdown celtics.super cast.com lockdown celtics.supercast.com There will be a link in the show notes. All right, Tom, so Tatum, the ramp up phase is an important phase, obviously, but I think why Tatum isn't saying, well, I, I, I am or I'm not and I don't have a specific date. We just don't know how he's going to respond to this part. This is, this may be the toughest part because it's, it's not easy, but it's very structured to get to the part where, okay, your Achilles tendon is in two pieces now. It's in one. It is healed. It's fine. Here we go. Now comes the, like I've put it before, your brain sends the signals to the feet. Can the feet do the things the brain wants it to do? How quickly can you do it? When can you start doing it at an NBA level? And after, each time you try, you're gonna have like the buildup of lactic acid, you're gonna get sore, it's gonna be difficult. You're gonna have like the mental hurdle of I can't believe Max Shulga just dusted me. What, what's wrong with me? You know, like, you're gonna have all of these little hurdles that you have to clear within this, this one big step. So I understand why he's, he's being non committal about, I'm targeting this day in three weeks or I, I want to come back on this day. He's just saying, I gotta get to the next step. I gotta, I gotta see how my body responds. And then, then I will say so. I don't see him being non committal about a date as being wishy washy or even messing with us. I actually don't think he can come up with a date because of this next step.

[Tom Westerholm]

For sure. It is kind of funny that he keeps hammering the. I don't know if I'm coming back this season because that feels like a slight exaggeration to me. You know, like, not, not in a bad way. Not in a way that, like, you know, not, not in a way where, again, where he's like trying to mess with you guys. It feels like he's being overly Safe with that one. Right. Which. Say what you want, but there's also, like, ways you could talk your way around that. Like, yeah, I haven't set a target date yet. I'm not 100 sure. You know, somebody says, like, well, are you coming back this season? Yeah, again, I just haven't set a target date. You know, it's not really how I'm operating this. I'm taking it day by day. You know what I mean? There's, like, a million ways that he could go about that without pinning that. Like, I don't know if I'm coming back this season to himself. So it's. That, to me, feels slightly like the Tatum, you know, myth making a little bit of, like, you know, just like. Well, I don't know. I might. I might not. All right, Jason. All right. But I mean, listen, again, we.

[John Corrales]

I.

[Tom Westerholm]

Like, we've said a hundred times, this is his. His rehab. This is his recovery. However he wants to go about it. However he wants to try to craft the narrative about himself, like, yeah, man, do it. Like, yeah, yeah. Like, do it up however you want to do it.

[John Corrales]

Like, yeah, that. That I think is. Is the right way to. To look at it. And. And I do like what he's talked about when. When he talked about his teammates, too, because another question that I asked is, like, hey, you said you were hesitant.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

What was that? And he almost was like, I don't want to say mad about that, but he said, you know, you talk about how, like, you know, I was being vulnerable.

[Tom Westerholm]

His reaction to that was interesting. I wanted to bring that up on this, too. Yeah, he.

[John Corrales]

I want to read the actual quote, because where is it? Of course, I just lost it here. Yeah. So he said, just over 39 weeks, you have a lot of time on your hands, you think about a lot of things, and you're just hyper aware of what's going on. And I think it would just stem from that. Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and bring to the team, so. But I'm also aware that these guys have been playing extremely well. And not to say that it would come in and mess it up or anything like that. It was just kind of being vulnerable, I guess, for a moment and taking it from that perspective and talking from that perspective, it's. He did seem annoyed, right?

[Tom Westerholm]

You. You. Like, a little bit. He almost sounded sad. It was. It was an odd inflection. Like. Yeah. In his voice. Like, it was like, yeah. I mean, not. Not that. I mean, you know, he might have literally just like, had to cough. You know what I mean? Like, I don't want to.

[John Corrales]

True.

[Tom Westerholm]

I don't want to, like, psychoanalyze this too much, but I did. It did give me, like, I felt almost kind of, like, bad for him for a second where it was like, you know, I was, I was just trying to be vulnerable. Like, you know what I mean? It's like, you know what? Like, that's, yeah. That I, I, Yeah. Like, you just wanted to, like, to me, it, like, the way I took it was like, I just wanted for a minute to kind of be able to express how this has actually been for me, you know, to watch these guys. I wanted this moment with people I trusted. You know, no offense to you guys. I don't trust you. I wanted to. With people who I trust and to say, like, right. I don't know if I'm coming back. These guys are doing great without me. And just have that moment of, like, that's a tough thing for anybody to admit. Like, even a superstar like Jason Tatum, man, my teammates are playing really well, and I'm not there. That moment of vulnerability is fair. It's valid. Like, that's, I, I for him in that moment.

[John Corrales]

And, and you know what?

[Tom Westerholm]

This is the.

[John Corrales]

Look, these guys don't owe me anything. And so I, I know how it's going to sound when I say certain things. They don't owe me anything. He does not have to answer my questions in any certain way. But what I just wish that at least with the guys on the beat, is that he would show some of that with us. He has been better in recent years for sure. And so he has been a more open in the past couple of seasons, and I do appreciate that. But you have, you also, you have to know, just like we're going to talk about what Jalen Brown said, you have to know that when you say something, it, you are a person of note. And the people like me, we're going to ask you about that stuff because when you, when a person of note says something notable, we go, oh, okay, yeah, there's, there's a beast to feed with content. And, like, people are going to start writing about it. If it's not me, it's going to be a blogger. It's going to be somebody, it's going to be somebody tweeting it. It's going to be one of the aggregation tweeter, Twitter accounts that tweeted out and all that. And then. But when we ask these questions, like, the, the tone in this kind of back and forth from today, you're like, this is nothing close to what you were talking about in the podcast.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

And like, that's great. Be vulnerable with your friends. But I don't know if there's any sort of like, why are you asking about this or anything like that. Like, I, I don't want that to be the dynamic. Like, right when you say something, I have to ask about it. I have to know, like, what did you mean? Like, what did you say? Because there is no follow up from those guys. There shouldn't be. They're just, you're just four dudes talking and, and they're talking about an hour long setting and people want to know more about that. That's, that's been part of the buzz. So, yeah, I, I, I'm, I'm glad that he feels that way. I'm actually glad that he feels that way. I'm glad that he had that moment of like, wow, you know, like a self kind of introspection. Like, that's important. He's not, he's not just, hey, this is, this is the Jason Tatum show and these are my backup singers, my backup dancers. He actually feels like this is part of a team. And the way he talked about the team was important. I appreciate that. I don't know, it is an interesting dynamic and to have Tatum kind of like go through and do like these podcasts and stuff again, do them. I don't care, like, do. But also when you do things like that and say things like that, there's, you put it out there and there's no follow up and there's a lot of, lot of blanks that people like to fill in. Yeah, people will fill in blanks forever. They fill in blanks when, when there's no information there. People will start to speculate whether it's, you know, us or people just fans, like, well, he must have meant this or he must have meant that. People need that. So I don't know. I, this is my little, my little thing there. I, bottom line is I'm, I am glad that he is considering his teammates and I'm. The way he's been around the team, with the team on the sidelines has been really important. I'm glad that he talked about that a little bit.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. And he, yeah, I think the way he's been around his team has been so encouraging. You know, he's just, he's been there all the time, like, you know, hyping people up, standing up on the bench. When things go like he's Very cognizant of everything that has been happening and of all the little interpersonal dynamics. Like, he's there. I think that's. I think that's been really important, is that he isn't viewing this. He isn't viewing this the same way as us. He's not viewing this from. From the, you know, from the sidelines or whatever it is. He is viewing it from. From inside. And I think that's been really important. I think that's going to be really important when he comes back because he. He really does have a sense of everything that's been happening.

[John Corrales]

So, Tatum, that's it. He's practicing. I'm sticking with early March. You're sticking with February 27th.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. Yes.

[John Corrales]

We're waiting. We're waiting to see how this goes.

[Tom Westerholm]

All right.

[John Corrales]

So that's the Tatum talk. I think we're. Tatum doubt at this point. Jalen Brown. So the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets got a little fracas. Fracas or fracas?

[Tom Westerholm]

I think it's fracas, I believe.

[John Corrales]

Really? I like fracas. I don't know. Either way, I guess I'm mispronouncing all kinds of things.

[Tom Westerholm]

And a donnybrook.

[John Corrales]

A donnybrook, Yes. A brouhaha. A good one. So Jalen was live streaming and what he said about the. We need more about this. More of this on the Celtics. I thought that was interesting. We'll talk about that when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by FanDuel. The Winter Games are here. Some incredible upsets, some incredible heartbreaks. So heartbroken for Lindsey Vaughn. Skiing on a torn ACL is just incredible. And the fact that she. She wrecked and all that. Oh, my God. But you can have some fun with the Winter Games on FanDuel. From Metal Counts to individual events of finding your angle on the sports you care about the most, FanDuel gives you more ways to stay connected to the action. You get the drama of the curling matches. Team USA with that big upset. The. The mixed. The curling thing. Oh, my God. That was an incredible finish. Speed skating races that decided by inches. Hockey games that are intense. Super crazy intense. FanDuel keeps the entire Olympic experience engaging from start to finish. Winter Games are on. And there's no better way to follow them than with FanDuel. When you sign up for FanDuel, you log in. It'll ask you to set a limit, set a budget, do so whatever your disposable income, whatever you can afford to lose in case you go cold, that's okay. Fanduel will catch you. It'll stop you because you're gambling responsibly at FanDuel. Play your game.

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[John Corrales]

Lockdown Celtics first listen every day the number one lockdown. Number one Celtics podcast on the lockdown podcast network. It is the number one sports podcast network. So thank you. We got a lockdown podcast for every team locked on NBA, locked on NBA game night. Recording this before the games because after the games, I'll be on game night with Jake Madison covering all the four games on the schedule. So we got all that coming up tonight on game night, wherever you get your podcast. All right, Tom, So a big. A big brawl, big fight. And Jason was on his. I mean, Jalen was on his stream. Jason. I don't know where Jason talked to him. Yeah, Jalen was on his stream. A couple of friends watching that, reacting. I thought it was kind of funny where he was like, when somebody mushes you in the face like Duran did to Musa Diabate, he's like, somebody. Somebody's gonna die.

[Tom Westerholm]

He's gotta die.

[John Corrales]

All right. Afterwards.

[Tom Westerholm]

Venus, okay.

[John Corrales]

He was like the. He's like, listen, he's talking to Adam Silver. Like, you know, this is good for ratings, man. People like, this is. Some of this is okay. And then he was like, you know, we. We need more of this. On the Celtics where I was like, oh, well, that is interesting for you to say. And I agree with Jalen would be nice. Like, Celtics haven't had that kind of edge since the Marcus Smart trade. I don't know, Tom. I don't know where you fall in this, but I'm always a fan of, like, the physical kind of like, not toe the line, not trying to start fights. I'm not like, I don't like Dylan Brooks or anything like that, but also Dylan Brooks is kind of helping the Phoenix Suns be like something different and playing with an edge and playing, like, playing that kind of style a little bit. There's something there's something to be said about that.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. I don't know how much I agree. I, I think I look at the, I think it, I think it varies team by team. Right. I think that clearly the Pistons are that team. That's obviously any team that employs beef stew is, is going to be that way. Him flying off the bench and getting into it. Honestly, I'm surprised it took as long as it did. But I, I think the Pistons are, are clearly that team. I think the Celtics, Every team follows the personality of its best players in a lot of ways. I think. At least, at least to some extent.

[John Corrales]

Sure. Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. And I think, I guess not every team because I guess the Pistons best player is the chillest dude on earth. But I, I think the Celtics so many of their best players are not chill. They're height, they're very, very competitive, but they are professional. You know, that's the, that's the thing that I look at when I look at the Celtics. Is everybody on the team or so many players on the team have this. Really everybody. Even like ugo, right. Your 19 year old is a fairly professional dude. You just have a team full of professionals. I think if that team full of professionals all of a sudden started like trying to, you know, brought somebody in who was going to be doing a lot of pushing and shoving, I, I don't know. Hey, I'm not against it. I, I don't really have any problem with. I don't, I don't have. I mean, listen, it was very entertaining. It was one of those fights where it's. You watch it so many times so that you can watch each guy individually to see what he's going to be doing. Duncan Robinson was easily the funniest of everybody. Just kind of like not really into it. Like, oh yeah, here we go again. Like that was. Yeah, to me that was easily the funniest. But I, but I, I don't, I guess, I don't know. I don't necessarily see the case for the Celtics having that because I think the Celtics personality is just one of the professionalism.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, I mean I do see Jalen, Jalen gets, gets a little, a little there. Ugo got into it. Norm Powell, I think there's more Norm Powell than Ugo.

[Tom Westerholm]

But even though it was Norm Powell saying what, what? And Ugo just kind of standing there like, well, I'm not gonna back up. Like, yeah, yeah, there wasn't really anything going on.

[John Corrales]

Right, right. We're not doing the motion. You know, no one's mushing anybody on the side. Listen, I come from an old school basketball kind of mentality. I, I believe in the value of the hard foul. Now, you can't do that anymore because it's a flagrant. But I believed in the value of the. Oh, you, you're the guy that kind of like taking little cheap shots like the, the Zaza Patchouli. Oh, you want to put a foot under my three point shooter? All right, come take a layup and see what happens, you know, and then you, you go in, you're like, oh, man, I misjudged that. And I happened to truck you and, oh, did my elbow catch your forehead? Oh, that's a shame. You know, like, those types of things were, like, the game was kind of police. It is a very old school mentality, and I know you can't do that now, and I know you can't advocate for it now because you get thrown out and. But, but this is a, this is the old man. Like, back in my day, that wasn't like, you know, I sat there and cheered Robert Parish for pummeling Bill Lambert. You know, like, those types of things were. Were fun. That. That doesn't exist in this league anymore. But there is value to some level of being able to police yourselves out there. I think the other side of it, though, is guys are so quick to feel disrespected now that it's not. They don't see it as policing. They just feel like they've been disrespected. And everybody feels like they're owed a certain amount of, you know, respect that you can't do this, you can't, whatever. So it's another reason why things escalated the way they escalate. But I do think there's value. I do wish there was a little bit more of that edge allowed. I wish you could do that a little bit more. But that's. That's old man.

[Tom Westerholm]

Me, I don't have a. I guess I, I don't have a problem.

[John Corrales]

The guy who pushed somebody in the media game because he got a rebound over me, so what do I know?

[Tom Westerholm]

No, I, I don't have a problem with that as much. I guess what I, what I question is when Jalen is like, we need more of that with the Celtics specifically, I'm like, I, I don't know. Your personality seems like it works pretty well of just winning basketball games. I. I don't have a problem with. With more physicality or any of that stuff. Like in the NBA. That's fine, I think. Listen, I mean, the, the, the physical games where the, the best games are, the ones where guys are really physical and it's, it's clean and nobody's like trying to hurt anybody else, but it is just physical and it's, it's well played in physical. Those are the, those are awesome basketball games. Right. Like, that's one of the reasons the playoffs are so great, is because everybody's trying so hard and the level of physicality goes up. The level of intensity goes up. Everything is just so intense. That's, that makes, that's, that's what makes basketball great. I don't have any problem with, with more physicality, hard fouls, any of that stuff. If they wanted to scale back on some of the penalties for some of this stuff, I'm fine with that. Yeah. I guess my point is just, I don't know that I agree with Jalen. The Celtics need more of it. I think that, you know, just kind of playing things by the book and you know, following Brad Stevens example of being a. Yeah. Gentleman who comes in and wins basketball games, like it seems to, I don't know, Derrick White, Jason Tatum, Jalen Bradley seems to work for them.

[John Corrales]

It's. Yeah. It's not, it's not. They don't have a bunch of the personalities who are going to do this right. You know, they're not Bayless on this team.

[Tom Westerholm]

Like.

[John Corrales]

No, there isn't.

[Tom Westerholm]

There isn't gonna be out here booping somebody on the nose.

[John Corrales]

One of the all time great photos, just him with a indented John Wall nose finger in the indented John Wall nose is just an incredible, incredible photography. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I guess, I guess I still, I still feel like enforcer is not the right word, but I still feel like whatever the. Maybe I'll just say enforcer because I, I still like the idea of that.

[Tom Westerholm]

The Celtics don't have that guy. There's no doubt about that. There's no, like, if something happens, there's nobody who, you'd be like, okay, that guy's gonna come take care of things on this Celtics team.

[John Corrales]

So I, I go back to the loss in Milwaukee when Bobby Portis. I forget what Bobby Portis did, but he kind of like, Jalen kind of like gave a little half hearted, like, shove. And Portis was out there like he hit a shot and he was yelling and screaming and like somebody needed to come over and just be like, no, we're not letting you punk us right now. Because he was at that. I forget the exact circumstances, but I remember at the time, writing about that, saying somebody needed to like Jordan Walsh, I think was the person like Jordan Walsh needed to go stand right in front of Bobby Portis when Bobby was yelling and screaming and hyping up the crowd and be like, no, you know what? We're not going to let you do that.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Somebody in that moment. Like, this is the part where Jalen, I think, has a point there in that moment, and it happens infrequently, but just be like, we're not just. I know you're at home, but even Jalen was kind of like meek about it in that moment. Somebody needs to be like, come over and. And, you know, take the ejection. Take the ejection. But, you know, I'm gonna just come over there, I'm gonna hip check you into the front row. Be like, what? No, not. Not me, not here, not us. So that's my mentality, that's my attitude. So is. Is there quite gonna do that? No, but somebody needs to. Marcus Smart would have. Marcus Smart would have. He would have been all up in Portis's face. He would have done the boop. He would have been in the chest. He would. That would have been an altercation with Marcus Smart here.

[Tom Westerholm]

So that's the game where Bobby Portis smacked Jalen Brown's butt so hard that it looked like he was, like, gonna break his hand.

[John Corrales]

Maybe that was.

[Tom Westerholm]

That was funny. Also. Marcus Smart would have gotten into it with him over that, I think.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, no, that's.

[Tom Westerholm]

That's it.

[John Corrales]

That's it. Sometimes you just need to send the message like, things aren't going well for our team and the coach can take a tech on the other end, but. Okay, that's what the coach can do.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

But somebody on the team.

[Tom Westerholm]

It comes across. It comes across kind of not impressive. If it's the coach who does. It is a. Like, oh, you guys need dad to stand up for you. Okay. Like, you know.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

From a coach.

[John Corrales]

So, like, you got to. And it can't be. It can't be one of the main players or I guess it can be. It can be. But like. But that. That's where like Jordan, in that moment, he already has. Like, it's not that anybody just like people like Jordan Walsh and all that stuff, but Jordan would have got up in. In Portis's face in that moment. That. That's. That's what Jalen was talking about. And I think that would have gotten like a little bit more. Just a little bit more respect, just a little bit like, street cred, a little something.

[Tom Westerholm]

So Hugo might. Ugo might become that guy.

[John Corrales]

For sure. He has. He has something that. Some of that in him.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Fiery Spanish blood. Maybe that's it. We're European. Like, I'm Greek. I have that little fiery, like, attitude.

[Tom Westerholm]

Like, people will hate Ugo if he becomes that guy, though, because he's already flying around out there.

[John Corrales]

Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

People are not gonna like. He's got. He got, like, the floppy hair. People are not gonna like that, dude.

[John Corrales]

They would not. And the problem is that he's good. And he's gonna be like, really, really good. And they'd be like, oh, God, yeah. All right, well, let me know in the comments what you all think, because.

[Tom Westerholm]

I don't know, It's.

[John Corrales]

I love these. These types of conferences. I would like to sit here with Jalen Brown and talk about it with him for half an hour. Just. That's the only topic.

[Tom Westerholm]

Ask. Ask him to come on the pod, see what he says.

[Ad Read / Sponsor Voice]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Oh, yeah. I should do that.

[Tom Westerholm]

You should do that.

[John Corrales]

Let's see how that goes. Yeah, for sure. All right, Tom, thanks as always, buddy.

[Tom Westerholm]

Appreciate you, man.

[John Corrales]

I appreciate you, Tom, and I appreciate you listening, watching, weighing in the comments. Let me know what you're thinking and we'll see. We'll see when Jason Tatum comes back and all that stuff. So thanks for watching. Thanks for listening. I would love it if you now share the podcast. That'd be a huge help for me. Tell everybody they should be listening to and watching the Lockdown Celtics podcast here on the Lockdown Podcast Network. It's your team every day.

[Tom Westerholm]

I'm Tim, a husband, father and son living with kidney disease. Even though my family has my back.

[John Corrales]

I knew we could all use extra support. My kidney coach from Fresenius Kidney Care gave me tips to help me care for my kidney health and feel my best, which means more time for my family. To connect with a kidney coach from.

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Fresenius Kidney Care and learn how to thrive with kidney disease, visit kidneycoachconnect.com that's kidneycoachconnect.com A year ago, I'm pretty sure I made a baby on Valentine's Day. My cycles were confusing. My doctor didn't listen. My period app couldn't predict ovulation. We missed chances for months. If you want a baby and you're struggling, here's what I did. I got us a Mira hormone monitor. MIRA tracks four key hormones like a lab from home and found my ovulation in minutes. Plus, it also tracks hormone health and perimenopause. Get 20% off for Valentine's Day with code [e-mail] finding ways to be financially savvy is a smart move, and knowing you could be saving money from the things you really want, like that dream home or new ride is a great feeling. That's why the State Farm Personal Price Plan can help you save when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with the Personal Price Plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer, availability, amount of discounts, and savings and eligibility vary by state.