Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla's wife stands up for NBA2K25 cover star Jayson Tatum: "Put some respect on this man's name"

Joe Mazzulla's wife, Camai, has come out to defend Jayson Tatum after the announcement of the NBA 2K25 cover. The new installment of the video game will feature the recently crowned NBA champion with the Boston Celtics on the cover, which sparked plenty of reactions from fans.

Camai took to Instagram and shared a story standing up for the forward, sending a clear message to those who still doubt Tatum.

"At some point y'all gonna have to PUT SOME RESPECT ON THIS MANS NAME!!" she captioned the post.

Jayson Tatum has been the subject of criticism for his lack of success with the Celtics. After the team won its 18th championship, Tatum sent a big response to doubters, asking what they were going to say now that he is already an NBA champion.

"First of all, God is the greatest. Not cause we won but he put me in a position to maximize my God-given abilities, to surround me with these guys, my family. This is an incredible feeling.

"It's been a long journey. We have a resilient group. We've been through a lot over the last couple of years, over my seven years (in Boston). What they gonna say now? What they gonna say now?!" Tatum said.

Jayson Tatum explains how important Joe Mazzulla has been to him

Jayson Tatum had a lot of support during his low moments and the Mazzulla family has been there for him through thick and thin. Before the Celtics finished the job against the Dallas Mavericks, the forward broke down how impactful his coach has been to him even outside the court.

"Aside from being an excellent coach, I truly do believe that he cares about us, our team as individuals and obviously, myself. The conversations that we have and he always, through the season, summer time, this postseason, had days where he called me into his office.

"Not necessarily talk about Xs and Os, but check on me as a person and how I'm dealing with everything. That does mean a lot for somebody to take time off his day to show that compassion and know that he's there for me," Tatum said.

Similarly, Camai Mazzulla has done the same for Jayson Tatum. The Celtics star continued to evolve last season, leading the team to the promised land and impacting the franchise in multiple ways. Now he's ready to play for Team USA and finish a strong year with a gold medal in Paris.