How many rings does Jayson Tatum have? Breaking down Celtics star's playoff history

21-05-2024
6 min read
(NBA Entertainment)

The Celtics are one of the winningest franchises in NBA history and have been one of the league's more consistent teams since the Kevin Garnett trade of 2007.

Boston has posted just two losing seasons in the 17 years since the acquisition of Garnett. They missed the playoffs just once in that span and have been a staple of both the Eastern Conference and NBA Finals.

Part of the reason for the Celtics' success? The relatively smooth transition away from the Garnett and Paul Pierce iteration of the team to the Jayson Tatum-led squad of the present day.

Tatum has blossomed into one of the NBA's best players since being the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He has logged three consecutive top-six finishes in the league's MVP voting and has been a staple of the All-NBA first team over that span as well.

Tatum has racked up plenty of accolades in his career, but there's still one thing eluding the 26-year-old as he looks to cement himself as a top-five player in the league. That would be a championship ring.

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How many rings does Jayson Tatum have?

Tatum has not yet won an NBA title. The 2023-24 season was the seventh in his career, but he hasn't yet emerged as a winner on the NBA's biggest stage.

The Celtics have made the playoffs in each of Tatum's first seven seasons and appeared in the NBA Finals once. That was in 2022 against the Warriors, a series the Celtics lost 4-2. Tatum averaged 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game during Boston's 2022 postseason run.

Tatum has a chance to win his first championship in 2024. The Celtics entered the postseason with a league-best 64-18 record and are favored to win the NBA title.

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Jayson Tatum playoff history

Since drafting Tatum in 2017, the Celtics have posted a record of 60-41 in the playoffs, entering the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals. They only once failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. That was in a 4-1 series loss to the Nets in 2021.

Below is a look at Tatum's playoff record by season and the Celtics' results during his career to date.

Year Playoff record Reached Result
2018 11-5 Eastern Conference Finals Lost to Cavaliers, 4-3
2019 5-4 Eastern Conference Semifinals Lost to Bucks, 4-1
2020 10-7 Eastern Conference Finals Lost to Heat, 4-2
2021 1-4 Eastern Conference Round 1 Lost to Nets, 4-1
2022 14-10 NBA Finals Lost to Warriors, 4-2
2023 11-9 Eastern Conference Finals Lost to Heat, 4-3
2024 8-2 TBD TBD

The Celtics went 8-2 in their first 10 postseason games in 2024, knocking out both the Heat and Cavaliers in five games. Tatum and Co. will look to perform similarly well against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals as Boston seeks to return to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons.

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How many championships have the Celtics won?

The Celtics have won 17 championships during their franchise's history. That's tied for the most in the NBA with the Lakers, who amassed 17 championship wins in 32 appearances compared to Boston's 17 wins in 22 appearances.

Below is a look at each of Boston's 22 NBA Finals appearances and their performance in each.

Year Opponent Result
1957 Hawks Won 4-3
1958 Hawks Lost, 4-2
1959 Lakers Won, 4-0
1960 Hawks Won, 4-3
1961 Hawks Won, 4-1
1962 Lakers Won, 4-3
1963 Lakers Won, 4-2
1964 Warriors Won, 4-1
1965 Lakers Won, 4-1
1966 Lakers Won, 4-3
1968 Lakers Won, 4-2
1969 Lakers Won, 4-3
1974 Bucks Won, 4-3
1976 Suns Won, 4-2
1981 Rockets Won, 4-2
1984 Lakers Won, 4-3
1985 Lakers Lost, 4-2
1986 Rockets Won, 4-2
1987 Lakers Lost, 4-2
2008 Lakers Won, 4-2
2010 Lakers Lost, 4-3
2022 Warriors Lost, 4-2

Tatum and Boston hope to add Banner 18 to the TD Garden rafters in 2024 to break up the second-longest NBA title drought in the Celtics' franchise history.