Why Kevin Durant thinks Jayson Tatum is going to ‘control the league’ for the next decade
Ahead of Thursday night's rematch against the Celtics, the Suns' Durant dished out some high praise for Tatum.
Throughout the Celtics’ historic 2023-24 season, Jayson Tatum has earned some high praise from NBA legends past and present.
Rarely, however, do his competitors offer up MVP endorsements the day before a matchup.
Ahead of Thursday’s rematch in Boston, the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant is looking forward to the opportunity to showcase the game of basketball at a high level. A level which he says Tatum has been playing at all season.
“His consistency all year, putting up a high number of points. Stats matter when it comes to MVP. His team is winning games by a landslide,” the 2013-2014 league MVP told The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin. The Suns fell to the Celtics 117-107 on Saturday after Tatum put up a team-best 29 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
Durant continued, adding that his former Eastern Conference rival has had multiple MVP-caliber seasons – reinforcing his status as a central figure in the NBA.
This season, the Celtics star is averaging 27 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists — a year after he set the All-Star game scoring record with 55 points.
“I’ve been in this league a long time now and I know when it’s a passing of the guard. I know when the young dudes are going to come in and do the same thing the older guys are doing. He’s one of those guys that I feel like is going to control the league for the next 10-12 years, be a staple in our game and the history of our game,” Durant said.
While Durant rounds out his 17th season in the league and looks towards the future of the NBA, he’s hardly slowing down. The 2007 No. 2 overall pick put up 45 points against the Celtics in their last meeting. This season alone he’s averaging 28.5 points per game, beating out his career average (27.3) at age 35.
According to Durant, playing against Tatum on Thursday night presents a chance to compete on a high level.
“You can see the game pushing forward when you’re on the court with somebody like that,” he said.
The Celtics face off against the Suns at home Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com