Jayson Tatum‘s summer has been nothing short of remarkable. The 26-year-old star has won his first NBA championship and secured an Olympic gold medal.

He also made his debut appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he was asked who he thought would make the NBA Finals next year.

Tatum confidently selected his Boston Celtics but also highlighted the Dallas Mavericks as a strong contender.

He noted the team’s offseason improvements, including the addition of Klay Thompson, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes, which he believes could bolster their shooting and defense.

“Uh, it’s going to be a rematch. We’re going to play Dallas again,” Tatum said.

The 2024/25 MVP race

Although Tatum didn’t specify who he believed would come out on top in a potential Finals rematch, he did share his thoughts on the upcoming 2024/25 MVP race.

Despite finishing fifth in last season’s MVP rankings, Tatum is projected to fall outside the top five this year due to the depth of talent on his team, which contrasts with players like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic, who have more individual dominance on their teams.

Team USA won gold in the men’s Olympic basketball tournament, but head coach Steve Kerr faced criticism for his minutes distribution, especially regarding Jayson Tatum‘s playing time.

NBA legend Charles Barkley was among those who expressed dissatisfaction with Kerr’s decisions.

“There’s no reason for him not to play Jayson Tatum,” Barkley told The Dan Le Batard Show.

“Jayson Tatum would have been the second-best player on Serbia, probably would have been the best player on France.

“For him not to get any minutes in two games… Come on man, that wasn’t right, that wasn’t fair.”