‘Life is about roller coasters’: Celtics have (almost) conquered the ride

Jayson Tatum typically takes his time before speaking to reporters after games.

Following the Celtics’ Game 3 triumph over the Mavericks on Wednesday, Tatum arrived at the podium almost immediately still wearing his jersey. He spoke with conviction and purpose, clearly invigorated but not complacent.

With a potential championship and Father’s Day both approaching, a reporter asked Tatum what he’ll tell his son, Deuce, about facing obstacles and overcoming them.

“That’s a great question,” Tatum said. “I would say that life is about roller coasters, right? The game of basketball, and life, and whatever your occupation is, right, we all go through ups and downs. In the toughest moments, that’s when your true character comes out.”

Tatum said he tries to be the same person all the time, through the best of times and worst of times.

“That’s what I’m going to try to instill in him,” Tatum said.

Tatum summarized this Celtics journey succinctly and profoundly. Life really is a rollercoaster. Sometimes we have this foolish notion that every single break should go our way. It’s human nature, but in reality, that’s not how it’s supposed to go.

Honestly, it’s better that way. If your dating life is glorious in middle school — first of all, credit to you — but what about the climb? If you get all As and get into your dream school, again, very impressive, but where’s the C in there to keep you grounded? If you enter the league and immediately win it all, respect, but it almost feels too easy.

When they first came in the league, Tatum and Jaylen Brown were tall for their age, but they still weren’t tall enough to ride the ride. Don’t let the name fool you…You can’t just walk on The Smiler and expect to come out unscathed.

Once they were able to ride, after many trial runs and much inevitable doom, they finally made it to the Finals. They almost made it through, but that final loop sent them spiraling and they puked off the side of the car (sorry for the unpleasant visual).

This ride isn’t for everyone. You’re going to get dizzy. You might scream a lot. You may even wet your pants. But the more times you ride the ride, the more equipped you are to do so to completion without a snafu.

Then came the growth, the maturity, and the willingness to accept that they weren’t initially ready. Together, they grew up, right before our eyes, and didn’t let their past failures prevent them from riding one more time.

This time, they didn’t eat that corndog right before hopping onto The Smiler. They brought a couple new friends along with them to ease the pain. They entered confident, and eager, but understood that nothing was guaranteed.

This time, they rode that dang ride with their hands in the air and smiles spread across their faces. No dizziness. No wetting of the pants. No puking. They’ve made it through the twists and turns, and now, they’ve entered the home stretch.

The ultimate goal is within reach, but they know they can’t let that distract them from coming out with the right mind-set.

“We’re not necessarily saying ‘One more’, but instead, ‘However long it takes,’” Tatum told reporters. “No one is relaxed. No one is satisfied. We gotta keep fighting.”

That’s all they’ve done since they arrived in Boston, and that’s what they’ll do moving forward.

As Deuce continues to mature, and understand the value of overcoming adversity, he has an outstanding role model to turn to in his father. Poise, passion and perseverance get you a long way in life, and Tatum and the Celtics are the ultimate example.