After years of dismissive remarks, including dubbing Jayson Tatum “The Password” for his supposedly forgettable presence, analyst Colin Cowherd has finally changed his stance.

The shift comes as Tatum continues to silence critics with his play and, perhaps more importantly, his approach to the game.

This week, Cowherd offered a surprising endorsement of Tatum on his podcast, focusing not just on statistics but on the forward’s mentality and work ethic that sets him apart in today’s NBA.

“If your star shows up every night, the rest of the team falls in line. Forget load management, I want lead management—and Jayson Tatum, he’s that guy. I’ve been to three or four Celtics games. He’s always the first guy on the floor in warmups. Locked in, both ends. He’s not coasting, not pacing himself. He plays—and plays hard—every single night. That’s a big deal. No, I don’t think he’s quite the face of the league yet, but he might be the heartbeat. The Celtics’ best player is also their hardest worker,” Cowherd remarked on The Volume.

The praise comes amid growing concerns about load management across the NBA.

Cowherd points out that despite the league’s efforts, including the 65-game minimum for award eligibility, star players treating regular-season games as optional has damaged fan interest and league appeal.

Yet in Boston, this trend hasn’t taken hold.

The Celtics have established a culture where availability matters, starting with Tatum.

While resting players has become standard practice elsewhere, Tatum joins a select group, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards, who approach playing as their default expectation, not a burden to avoid.

Cowherd suggests that if the NBA can’t solve the load management problem through rules, it might be players like Tatum who ultimately shift the league’s culture back toward consistency.

Four Studs, Two Duds As Celtics Complete Historic Road Trip Vs. Grizzlies

The Boston Celtics seemingly found their sweet spot entering the final contest of their six-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.

Boston had won its last eight straight games and 17 of its last 20 before stepping foot in FedExForum in Memphis. The team’s chase at tying the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors for the best road record in NBA history (34-7) continued as, even without Jaylen Brown, the Celtics managed to maintain their red-hot momentum and set a new franchise record in the process.

For the first time in Celtics history, the team swept a six-game road trip. Boston’s shorthanded lineup didn’t sail smoothly, however, as Ja Morant and the Grizzlies came to compete and defend their home court. It took a collective pitch-in effort from all involved, but the Celtics made it out with an improved 56-19 record and their ninth consecutive victory to keep the streak alive and well.

The six-time All-Star finished with a 25-point and 14-rebound double-double. Tatum shot 10-of-24 from the floor and made up for an uncharacteristic 2-of-11 clip from 3-point range to remain the team’s biggest two-way threat. Tatum was charged with a nearly-costly technical foul in the fourth quarter, but helped the Celtics maintain the poise needed to shut the door on the Grizzlies.

Boston’s 7-footer scored 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. Porzingis connected on 3-of-5 shot attempts from three, and tallied five rebounds and five assists. Playing Robin to Tatum’s Batman, Porzingis notched a game-best plus-29 rating.