As the Hall of Fame honors the past, Jayson Tatum talks Celtics present and future

It was his first time to a Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame induction ceremony, yet the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum is not quite prepared to use the moment as motivation.

The four-time All-Star and two-time first-team All-NBA selection is on a Hall of Fame trajectory but he has yet to approach his prime. Tatum was a surprise guest of inductee Dwyane Wade and sat front and center during an emotional night where Wade and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich captivated the audience with touching speeches.

Popovich, speaking without a prepared speech or teleprompter, delighted the crowd for 25 minutes with jokes, stories, and tributes. Wade capped his portion with an impassioned acknowledgment of his father, Dwyane Sr., who joined him on the Symphony Hall stage as Wade said, “We in the Hall of Fame dawg!”

Tatum was one of the few current players who attended the ceremony, sitting a few feet from Carmelo Anthony and behind Warriors guard Chris Paul.