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LeBron James explains why Jayson Tatum is already an elite talent in NBA
Speaking on his new podcast, LeBron James explained why Jayson Tatum is already an elite talent in the NBA.
Jayson Tatum has compiled quite the resume over his seven seasons in the NBA.
The 26-year-old forward has already earned five All-Star nods and two All-NBA First Team honors, and remains in the conversation for league MVP this season as the top player on a 54-14 Celtics roster.
Beyond his own individual achievements, Tatum’s arrival in Boston has also ushered in a new era of contention for the storied NBA franchise.
The Celtics have made the playoffs every season since Tatum was drafted third overall in the 2017 NBA Draft — advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals four times and to the NBA Finals in 2022.
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Of course, some of the criticism levied against Tatum has been Boston’s inability to get over the hump, especially during the 2022 Finals against the Warriors. In that six-game series, Tatum averaged 21.5 points per game and shot just 36.7% from the field en route to a crushing defeat on basketball’s top stage.
Even though Tatum and the Celtics are still in search of that sought-after championship, Lakers star LeBron James doesn’t believe that the absence of a championship on Tatum’s ledger should mar his reputation as one of the game’s top players.
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“I think we have a lot of expectations on JT, but he’s experienced a lot of winning in his career so far,” James said on his new podcast with JJ Redick, “Mind The Game.” “Obviously, everyone wants to see him get over the hump. But four conference finals and a finals appearance before the age of 26 is elite. He’s continued to grow and they are in a position where they can make another title run.”
Even though Tatum has been a conduit of criticism for years now following several disappointing playoff exits, James acknowledged that several NBA legends did not win an NBA title until their late 20s.
“He’s (26) years old and I believe he’s been to the conference finals four times, been to obviously the NBA Finals once,” James said of Tatum. “I didn’t win my first one till I was 28. I think (Nikola Jokic) won his first one at 27. I think (Michael Jordan) was 28, as well.
“Personnel helps, adding (Kristaps) Porzingis and getting Jrue (Holiday) for a bag of Lay’s potato chips. That helps as well. JT is definitely, when you go and you start scouting for Boston, he’s the No. 1 guy, for sure.”
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Even though the results speak for themselves when it comes to Porzingis and Holiday’s impact this season with Boston, the Celtics didn’t exactly give up a bag of Lay’s in order to bring both stars to TD Garden.
In a busy offseason for Brad Stevens last summer, the Celtics parted with several key contributors in Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, and Malcolm Brogdon in order to land both Porzingis and Holiday.
Granted, things haven’t worked out for those three former Celtics so far this season.
A banged-up Smart has only played 20 total games this season for a Grizzlies team saddled with several other devastating injuries, while Williams only played six games for the Trail Blazers before undergoing season-ending knee surgery. Brogdon played 39 games for Portland before getting sidelined with an elbow injury last month.
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