Rare is the professional athlete who is pleased with their video game rating, but Jayson Tatum had little choice than to agree with his new standing in "NBA 2K21."
The popular NBA video game unveiled its post-NBA bubble player ratings Thursday, and the Boston Celtics star came in at a 90 overall.
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Tatum is one of roughly 15 players in the video game with a 90 overall rating or higher, further affirming he's already one of the NBA's best players at age 22.
That's an impressive rating considering the young Celtics forward was rated an 85 overall in NBA 2K20. But Tatum shouldn't be surprised -- because he predicted such a leap last year.
Forsberg: How can Tatum build off his breakout season?
Prior to the 2019-20 season, Tatum laid out all of the goals he hoped to achieve while rising to a 90 overall in NBA 2K21. On Thursday, Tatum joined 2K's Ronnie Singh to reflect on reaching all of those goals save for winning an NBA championship.
"I feel good," Tatum said. "You set out a goal before the season, and once you accomplish that goal, it feels good. And now we're on to the next marker."
You could argue Tatum shouldn't get too hung up on his rating in a video game. But the three-year veteran had a sage response when asked why he cares about his virtual assessment.
Boston Celtics
"It's important obviously because I enjoy playing the game," Tatum said. "Everybody plays 2K. It something to discuss, to have dialogue about, to talk about.
"We can have fun with it, but it's also kind of a representation of reality. How you perform in real life, it translates to the video game."
If the thought of boosting his rating motivates Tatum to elevate his game in 2020-21, that's a win-win for him and the Celtics.