Colin Cowherd is up there with Skip Bayless for his hot takes, and his latest criticism of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum should surprise no one considering he’s giving a new nickname to the six-time All-Star: “The Password.”
Colin Cowherd Says Jayson Tatum Is Not At The Level Of Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Or Kevin Durant
However, Cowherd’s reasoning for calling Tatum “The Password” isn’t pretty. On his show The Herd, Cowherd dismissed Tatum as a true NBA superstar, arguing that his impact is not at the level of Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or Kevin Durant.
Instead, Cowherd categorized Tatum as just a “star” rather than a superstar in the league, and he’s basically nicknaming him “The Password” for being forgettable.
“So I’ve never had a topic where I just give you data and facts, and one city is more outraged. I don’t even understand it,” he said. “Yesterday, I said, ‘You know, they’re 10-2 when he doesn’t play.’ That’s not an opinion. I said they score eight points more per game when he doesn’t play. That’s not an opinion.
“The field goal percentage, the net rating, the 3-point percentage all go up when Jayson Tatum doesn’t play. Those aren’t opinions. In the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, Jaylen Brown was the MVP, not Tatum. That’s not an opinion.
“In the Olympics, the second-to-last game against Serbia, coaches’ decision — they wouldn’t play him. In the gold medal game, he had two points. These are not opinions. You are trying to make him Jokic, Giannis, Steph, LeBron, and Luka. I’m not.
“I’m just saying he’s not in that class, and all the numbers prove it. And by the way, you know who else proves it? Shoe companies. LeBron, Steph, KD, and Ja Morant have their own brand. Tatum doesn’t. He’s got a shoe under Michael’s brand. So what did the Olympics prove? He shrinks against great players around him.
“Eastern Conference Finals — what did it prove? What does production data prove when he doesn’t play? I’m not saying he’s not a star. The NBA, at any one time, has two superstars, maybe three, and then about 12 stars. I’m just saying he’s not in the three— he’s in the 12. And people are outraged by it. This all started with a ‘face of the league’ discussion, and in terms of that, he’s more Tim Duncan— efficient, productive, good guy, excellent player, can win you championships— but there’s not a lot of aura there, not a lot of personality.”
Colin Cowherd Is Calling Jayson Tatum “The Password” For Being Commonly Forgotten With The Celtics
Keep in mind that Cowherd’s controversial take comes nearly a year after Tatum helped the Celtics win their first NBA championship since 2008. He’s a four-time All-NBA member who finished sixth in MVP voting last season.
“I don’t think that’s a criticism. So you’re the one trying to get me to compare him to superstars. There are a lot of good soccer players, but not a lot of Messis and Ronaldos,” Colin Cowherd added.
“At any one time, the world has two or three of them. Now, the world has 15 other great soccer stars, but at any given time — Mbappé, Messi, Ronaldo — it’s got about three global superstars. And this is a global league, and Tatum is not a global star.
“I’ve said this before: we talk about Michael Jordan, and he hasn’t played forever. We talk about Magic and Bird and Dr. J. You know who we don’t talk about? Tim Duncan, Karl Malone — they’re great players. Jayson Tatum is going to retire, and four years later, there’ll be no Jayson Tatum talk. That doesn’t mean he’s not great. You’re the one jamming him into this global elite group, and I’m just saying— numbers don’t prove it.
“You know what his nickname is? So, NBA Twitter is a thing, and they make up nicknames all the time. This year, they’ve given seven new players nicknames. I didn’t. I’m just going to tell you what the nickname was. His nickname? ‘The Anomaly.’ Does that sound like it would sell shoes?”
“So, so, so — I think his nickname should be ‘The Password’ because he’s commonly forgotten. But I’m going to get shots for that! I threw a couple up there. Alright, we’re being snarky. But we’re just being snarky.”
Cowherd’s argument addressed how the Celtics have performed slightly better offensively and defensively in games where Tatum has not played, citing their 3-1 record without him this season.
He also referenced past performances, particularly in the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals, where Jaylen Brown was named MVP over Tatum, suggesting that during the biggest moments of the playoffs, Tatum has not established himself as a transcendent figure.
In 60 games (all starts) this season with the Celtics, Tatum is averaging 27.2 points, career highs of 8.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 36.5 minutes per contest while shooting 45.5% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc.