Jayson Tatum arrived at TD Garden on Monday with a Kevin Garnett-inspired message for hopeful Celtics fans ahead of one of the most anticipated Game 7s in NBA history.
Tatum’s team, after falling into a 3–0 hole, kept their season alive on Saturday with a wild 104–103 Game 6 win for its third-straight victory over the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. In doing so, Boston became the fourth team to force Game 7 down 3–0 and preserved a chance to make history as the first team to ever win a series facing those daunting odds.
With the Celtics closing in on an opportunity to achieve the impossible, Tatum appeared to gather some extra motivation from Garnett, which he channeled into his pre-game attire.
Tatum donned a jacket adorned with KG’s famous “Anything is possible!” quote from the 2008 NBA Finals underneath his No. 0 jersey number, along with a picture of Garnett pounding his chest on the opposite side. The memorable saying was, of course, uttered by the Hall of Fame forward after the Celtics toppled the Lakers, 131–92, in Game 6 to win the series, 4–2.
“Anything is possible.” 🗣
Tatum arrives at TD Garden for Game 7! pic.twitter.com/FhFAwlSJ3c
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 29, 2023
As evidenced by Tatum’s fit, the circumstances of the moment are certainly not lost on the 25-year-old star. As if Monday’s matchup wasn’t already big enough, the contest will also carry an added emphasis for both teams considering it falls on the same day as Boston’s narrow 100–96 Game 7 win over the Heat in the 2022 Eastern Conference finals last May.
Will history repeat itself? Only time will tell but for Tatum, finishing the job a la Garnett’s Celtics will be of the utmost importance with all eyes on Beantown for a potentially historic Game 7.