Jayson Tatum had arguably the best season of his career in 2024-25. The 27-year-old forward joined Larry Bird as just the second player in Celtics franchise history to lead the team in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals in a single season multiple times — with Tatum averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and six assists per game in his eighth NBA campaign. But even with Tatum once again stuffing the stat sheet — and leading the Celtics to another dominant regular season — the All-NBA regular was not named a finalist for the NBA MVP Award this year. The NBA announced its finalists for several regular-season awards on Sunday, with Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo tabbed as the trio in the running for MVP. Both Gilgeous-Alexander (32.7 points per game) and Jokic (29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists per game) are both considered the frontrunners for the accolade — while Antetokounmpo is expected to finish third in that pecking order. Jokic’s triple-double stat line and Gilgeous-Alexander’s role in leading a 68-win Thunder team both make compelling cases for MVP honors. But speaking on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage of the Celtics’ Game 1 win over Orlando, former Celtics guard and 2008 champion Eddie House took umbrage with Tatum once again getting snubbed as an MVP finalist. “Most disrespected superstar in the league,” House said of Tatum. “Most disrespected All-NBA First-Team player in the league. Was it three straight years he’s been All-NBA? He’s disrespected. “And that’s OK, because sometimes that’s fuel for the fire and for the greater good of what the Boston Celtics are doing. I think it’s turning him into a monster, and eventually, he’s gonna get that MVP. So thank you, everybody.” While Antetokounmpo’s own stat line (30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists per game) on an uneven Bucks team was impressive, NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg argued that Tatum’s impact was just as evident on a Celtics team that remained a powerhouse despite dealing with several injuries across the depth chart. “I thought by the end of the season, the people that vote for these awards would recognize that if we sit here and keep saying, ‘We’re gonna vote for SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) because (of) the team’s success,’ so we’re not rewarding Tatum for the success of the Celtics? So I thought they’d recognize that and put him ahead of Giannis,” Forsberg said. “Giannis had a great season. I get the numbers are probably pretty glitzy and he had to carry a heavier load without Damian Lillard out there. And yet, you can’t tell me that Jayson Tatum doesn’t more positively impact winning this season for a 60-win team. “I think it’s just ridiculous that he’s not in the top three. If he needs any motivation, he finds it at every turn because people just don’t give him the respect he deserves.” While Tatum has yet to receive the top individual accolade in the NBA, the Celtics forward will look to secure an even more coveted achievement in the coming months — winning back-to-back championships with Boston. “I said it a lot: We’re not defending the championship,” Tatum said last week ahead of Game 1 against Orlando. “We won last year. Can’t nobody take it from us. But last year is last season. That’s out the window. We’re not worried about anything besides the Magic right now. We’re not looking past (to) second, third, fourth round.”