Jayson Tatum

At 26 years old, Jayson Tatum has this physical status:

High school career

Tatum attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in Creve Coeur, Missouri. He averaged 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a freshman and was named 2013 Metro Catholic Conference Co-Player of the Year, leading the Red Devils to both (MCC) and Missouri District 2 crowns. He averaged 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2014.

Tatum averaged 25.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game as a junior, while receiving second-team Naismith Trophy All-American honors. Tatum joined the St. Louis Eagles Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team in summer 2015 on the highly contested Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Circuit. The Eagles defeated future Duke teammates Harry Giles and Team CP373-7 in the Nike Peach Jam Semi-Finals on July 11, where Tatum led the game with 28 points and 5 rebounds. Tatum scored 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a 104–77 loss to the Georgia Stars and former Duke one-and-done Wendell Carter Jr. in the 2015 Nike Peach Jam championship game on July 12. Tatum led the EYBL in scoring with 26.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game on the Circuit.

Tatum pledged verbal support to Duke University over North Carolina, Kentucky, and his mother and father's alma mater, Saint Louis University, prior to his senior year. Among his senior victories were a 40-point, 17-rebound victory over Bentonville High School and its star Malik Monk, a 46-point victory over Huntington Prep and Miles Bridges at the Cancer Research Classic, and a final 40-point game against DeMatha Catholic High School and future NBA draft pick Markelle Fultz in the 2016 HoopHall Classic.

While guiding Chaminade to its second Missouri Class 5A state championship as a senior in 2015-2016, Tatum averaged 29.6 points and 9.1 rebounds and six 40-point games. Tatum was selected in the Skills competition in January 2016 and the all-American game in Chicago on March 30, 2016, where he led the East team in scoring with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Tatum also participated in the Jordan Brand Classic in April, where he scored 18 points in a 131–117 victory over the West team. Tatum was named the 2016 Gatorade National Player of the Year.

Tatum was rated as a five-star recruit and as one of the top prospects in the 2016 class. He was ranked as the No. 1 in the world. Harry Giles and Josh Jackson, as the No. 3 overall recruit behind No. 1 and No. In the 2016 high school class, there were two small forwards.

College career

Tatum missed 8 games due to a foot injury before the 2016-17 season. Tatum scored ten points in a 94–55 victory over Maine on December 3, 2016, in his Duke debut. Tatum scored 22 points and 8 rebounds in an 84-74 victory over Florida at the Jimmy V Classic on December 6, 2016. Tatum was named ACC freshman of the week on December 12, 2016. Tatum won by 72-61 over Elon on December 21, 2016, with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Tatum defeated Georgia Tech 110–57 on January 4, 2017, scoring 19 points in a 110–57 victory. In a 93–82 win over Boston College, he had 22 points and 6 rebounds on January 7, his 22 points and 6 rebounds. In a 70-58 victory over Miami on January 21, Tatum scored 14 points. Tatum received his second ACC freshman of the week award on February 13. In a 65-55 victory over Virginia over February 15, he scored a season-high 28 points and 8 rebounds. In a 99-94 victory over Wake Forest on February 18, 2017, Tatum scored 19 points. Duke defeated Clemson and Louisville in the second round and Louisville in the quarterfinals as the fifth seed in the ACC tournament. Tatum scored 24 points in a victory over North Carolina in the semifinals on March 10. Tatum defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on March 11, winning the ACC tournament championship for the Blue Devils.

Since scoring 22.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game for the Blue Devils, Tatum was named to the All-ACC Tournament team. Duke defeated Troy University in the first round in the first round of the NCAA tournament, but losing in a second-round loss to South Carolina early in the second round. In the tournament, Tatum averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Tatum played 29 games, averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assist, and 1.3 steals per game in his freshman season with Duke in 2016, and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team and a third team All-ACC pick. Tatum had a fruitful freshman season at Duke, placing fourth in made free throws (118), rebounds (fifth), and free throw percentage (849). (The United States is a republic in the United States)

Tatum decided to go directly into the 2017 NBA draft as a one-and-done, where he was ranked as a first-round pick at the end of his freshman season.

Professional career

Danny Ainge, the team's general manager, dealt with the team's No. 2nd. The Philadelphia 76ers' #1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft in the hopes of finding another useful draft pick while still focusing on Tatum, the player he really wanted. The Philadelphia natives selected him with their third overall pick, which they obtained from Philadelphia. He was the Celtics' second straight No. 2nd place. Following Jaylen Brown's appearance in 2016, we have a 3 pick for a small forward. In nearly 33 minutes of action, he showed his ability to action, averaging 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 2.0 assists. Tatum also achieved remarkable success in Las Vegas later this season, averaging 17.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.8 blocks in nearly 32 minutes of action in the three games he was allowed to play. He was a member of the All-Summer League Second Team, alongside Bryn Forbes, Cheick Diallo, Wayne Selden Jr., and Kyle Kuzma.

Tatum was a rookie in NBA history, scoring 14 points and ten rebounds as the team's starting power forward in a 102-99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tatum then won over the New York Knicks on October 24, 2017 with a season-high 24 points. For December 2017, he was named Rookie of the Month in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics finished the season as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 55-27. Tatum registered a double-double against the seventh seed Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the first-round series against the seventh seed Milwaukee Bucks. He scored 21 points in Game 4 and then fell short of 21 points in Game 6 with 22 points. In Game 7 of 112–96, the Celtics defeated the Bucks by a score of 112–96, with Tatum scoring 20 points.

Tatum defeated the 76ers in Game 1 of the second round, earning the first Celtics rookie to score 25 or more points in a playoff game since Larry Bird in the 1980 NBA playoffs. He made his first appearance in four straight playoff games at the age of 20 years, 272 days, after scoring 21 points in a Game 2 win. He was the first Celtics rookie to score 20 points in five straight playoff games after leading the Celtics to 24 points in Game 3 overtime victory in Philadelphia. The bird had a previous record of four. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only rookies in playoff history to score ten games of 20 or more points in their first playoff appearances; LeBron James praised Tatum's service there, saying, "He's made for stardom."

Tatum was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team on May 22, 2018 (First Team).

Tatum scored 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in a 105-87 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Celtics' 2018-19 season opener. In a 103-101 victory over the New York Knicks, he scored 24 points and 14 rebounds on October 20. In a 102–95 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tatum had 24 points and 6 rebounds on October 25, scoring 24 points and 6 rebounds. In a 123-116 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors on November 16, Tatum had 21 points and 7 rebounds. In a 121-114 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on December 25, he had 23 points and 10 rebounds. In a 103-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tatum tallied 25 points and 7 rebounds. Tatum defeated the Sacramento Kings 126–120 on March 6, with 24 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assist. He won the Skills Challenge competition during NBA All-Star Weekend.

In a 119-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on December 22, 2019, Tatum scored a then-high 39 points as well as 12 rebounds. In a 140-105 victory over January 11, 2020, he would smash the New Orleans Pelicans with 41 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. Tatum was named an Eastern Conference reserve on January 30, for the first time in his career. Tatum would win by 39 points in 47 minutes and leading Boston to a 141-133 double overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on February 13. In a 114–112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 23, he tied his career-high 41 points. Tatum would shoot 2–18 against the Milwaukee Bucks on July 31, but the Portland Trail Blazers would win by 19 points on August 2. He was selected to the All-NBA Third Team, his first selection of his career.

The Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020 for the second time in Tatum's three years in NBA, following series victories over the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors in four and seven games, respectively. The Miami Heat were unable to defeat Boston in six games in the Conference Finals. Tatum's game-tying dunk attempt was blocked by Heat center Bam Adebayo with 4.8 seconds left in Game 1, with the Celtics trailing by two in the closing seconds, prompting Miami to a 117-114 victory.

Tatum and the Celtics agreed to a five-year deal, worth $195 million, on November 22, 2020. Tatum scored 30 points and seven rebounds in a 122–121 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on the first night of the season on December 23, 2020, as well as a game-winning three-pointer. Tatum had 24 points and a career-high 12 assists in another game-winning basket against the Detroit Pistons on January 3, 2021. In a 126–114 victory over the Toronto Raptors on the next day, Tatum scored a season-high 40 points. Tatum tested positive for COVID-19 on January 9, 2021, and the team lost multiple games. Tatum was named an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game on February 23. It was his second All-Star game in a row.

In a close win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 9, Tatum had a career-high 53 points, 16 made field goals, and 15 made free throws. Tatum was the youngest Celtics player to score 50+ points in a Celtics uniform, behind Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, and he finished as the second player to score 50+ points and grab 10+ rebounds since Bird did it back in November 1989. Tatum and Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls became the second pair of players to score 50+ points on the same day in the 2020-21 season.

Tatum converted the Celtics back from a 32-point deficit against the San Antonio Spurs on May 4, a run that saw the third-largest comeback in NBA history, and Tatum gave Tatum another career-high of 60 points, tied for the highest points total by a Celtics player (Larry Bird). Tatum was one of three players to score 60+ points without a single turnover, and the Eastern Conference Player of the Week was named this week after averaging 42.7 points per game, 6.0 assists per game, and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Tatum led the Celtics to victory over the Washington Wizards and establishing the team as the first seed in the Eastern Conference in 2021; just one other player (Tristan Thompson) had ten or more points. Tatum set the record for most points in a single play-in tournament game, and singlehandedly defeated the Wizards in the third quarter and a portion of the fourth, posting a perfect 17/17 from the free throw line.

Tatum scored 50 points on 50% shooting (16/30), as well as 2 steals in Game 3 of the Brooklyn Nets' and their "Big Three" series (Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving). Tatum set new records by winning 50 points in the NBA's first game after shooting single digits in the previous season; he also became the first Celtics player to score 50+ points in the NBA playoffs; and the third youngest NBA playoff scorer to reach that number in a single game. Tatum was the sixth person in Celtics history to score 50+ points in a playoff game; he later became the first NBA player to score 50+ points more than once in a play-in game; and the playoffs saw 50+ points. Despite losing to the Nets in five games, Tatum set a Celtics franchise record for the most points scored in a three-game span in the playoffs, totaling 122 points.

For the first time in his 5th season as a player of the NBA, Jayson led the league in Plus-minus for the first time, establishing his reputation as one of the NBA's most valuable players. Tatum scored 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists as the Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets in a 140–129 overtime victory on October 25, 2021. In a 116-87 victory over the Washington Wizards, Tatum scored a season-high 51 points, 7 assists, and a career-high 9 three-pointers. Tatum was selected for his third straight All-Star appearance on February 3. Tatum scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, as well as 6 rebounds and 5 assists, in a 120-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on March 3. In a 126-120 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, Tatum topped his season-high with 54 points, 34 of which in the second half. This was the fourth time Tatum had scored 50+ points in a game in his career, tying Larry Bird for the most 50-point games in Celtic history. Tatum was named Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday after averaging 41.3 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, and 5.0 assists per game. In the fourth quarter of a 115-101 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Tatum scored 16 of his 44 points. For the fourth time in the season and eight times overall, the Sacramento Kings, Tatum, and Jaylen Brown all scored at least 30 points in a single game; this tied the most consecutive games with fellow Celtics Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, who also scored four in the 1986-87 NBA season. Tatum and Jaylen Brown tied for the most points in the game, winning by 124-104 over the Denver Nuggets, while Matto Brown and Gary Brown tied the previous record by scoring 30 points from the field. Tatum was the first franchise player to be voted Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks on March 28.

Tatum logged 31 points and eight assists during Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs on April 17. He beat the Brooklyn Nets 115–114 after making the game-winning layoff. Tatum won by 109-103 on April 23, scoring 39 points, 6 assists, and a playoff career-high 6 steals. Tatum and the Celtics thrashed the Nets 116–112 to advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs two days later. Tatum defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 116–108 to tie the series at 2–2. In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, on May 9, the team defeated the reigning champions in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Tatum scored 46 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists to lead the Celtics to a 108-95 victory and force a game 7 in Boston on May 13. Tatum defeated the Bucks 109–81, earning the Celtics a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals two days later. Tatum scored 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 102-82 victory over the Miami Heat on May 23rd, tying the series at 2–2. In a 96 victory over Miami, he scored 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, leading the Celtics to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010. Tatum was named the inaugural Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 25.0 points, 8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game in the series. Tatum led the Celtics to a 120-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors, the most assists received by a player in his Finals debut, in Game 1 of the Finals. The Celtics led by taking a 2–1 series lead in the first round but lost in six games. Tatum made the all-time NBA record of 100 turnovers in a single postseason.

National team career

Tatum was involved in the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship and 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship, as well as the Eurobasket.com All-World Championship U19 Second Team.

Tatum was presenter of Team USA at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit, scoring 14 points, pulling down 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.

Tatum was chosen as one of Team USA's 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, which were postponed to 2021 due to the discovery of Coronavirus COVID-19 global pandemic. In six games, he helped Team USA win the gold medal, and he averaged 15.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, despite shooting 45.3 percent from the field.

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