Jayson Tatum: From Duke Blue Devil to NBA Champion

Jayson Christopher Tatum Sr., born on March 3, 1998, is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Tatum's journey to becoming a basketball superstar began in St. Louis, Missouri, where he honed his skills and developed a passion for the game. From his impressive high school career to his single season with the Duke Blue Devils, and then to leading the Boston Celtics to their 18th NBA championship, Tatum has consistently showcased his exceptional talent and unwavering dedication.

Early Life and High School Career

Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Tatum's early life was shaped by his love for basketball and the support of his family. He attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in Creve Coeur, Missouri, where he was inspired by Bradley Beal, a senior at Chaminade. Tatum played alongside Tyler Cook and was in gym class with Matthew Tkachuk.

At Chaminade, Tatum quickly established himself as a dominant force. As a junior, Tatum averaged 25.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, earning Second-team Naismith Trophy All-American honors. During his senior year, Tatum averaged 29.5 points and 9.1 rebounds, and in the Missouri Class 5A state championship game he scored 40 points as Chaminade won the title. He graduated from Chaminade as the school’s all-time scorer (2,676) and rebounder (1,028). The following year Tatum was named the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American.

In the summer of 2015, he joined the St. Louis Eagles Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team on the highly competitive Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Circuit. On July 11, the Eagles narrowly defeated future Duke teammate Harry Giles and Team CP3 74-73 in the Nike Peach Jam Semi-Finals with a game-winning buzzer-beater to advance to the championship game, where Tatum finished the game with 28 points and five rebounds. The next day, he had 24 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks in a 104-77 loss to the Georgia Stars and future Duke one-and-done Wendell Carter Jr. Tatum was rated a five-star recruit and was ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit behind Harry Giles and Josh Jackson.

College Career at Duke University

Tatum's outstanding high school performance led to numerous college offers, and he ultimately chose to play for the Duke Blue Devils. "2016 Duke Basketball Commitment List". "2016 Team Ranking". Tatum missed the first eight games of the 2016-17 season due to a foot injury.

2016-17 Season (Freshman)

In his freshman season for Duke in 2016-17, Tatum played 29 games, starting 27 times, and averaging 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 33.3 minutes per game.

On December 3, 2016, in his Duke debut, Tatum recorded 10 points in a 94-55 blowout victory over Maine. Three days later, he had 22 points and eight rebounds in an 84-74 victory over Florida at the Jimmy V Classic. On December 12, he was named ACC freshman of the week. On December 21, Tatum had 18 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks in a 72-61 victory over Elon. On January 4, 2017, he scored 19 points in a 110-57 blowout victory over Georgia Tech. Three days later, Tatum recorded 22 points and six rebounds in a 93-82 victory over Boston College. On January 21, he scored 14 points in a 70-58 victory over Miami. On February 13, Tatum earned his second ACC freshman of the week honor. Two days later, Tatum recorded a season-high 28 points and eight rebounds in a 65-55 victory over Virginia. On February 18, Tatum scored 19 points in a 99-94 victory over Wake Forest. As the fifth seed in the ACC tournament, Duke defeated Clemson in the second round and Louisville in the quarterfinals.

He averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds to rank second in each category on both the team and among ACC freshmen. He shot 45.2 percent from the field and 84.9 percent from the free throw line. One of five finalists for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award…Earned USBWA All-District III honors…A third-team All-ACC selection and a member of the ACC All-Freshman Team…Named ACC Rookie of the Week three times (12/12, 2/13, 2/20) and Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week once (12/13)…Named to the All-ACC Tournament first team after leading the team with averages of 22.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals as Duke became the first team to win four games in as many days to claim the championship.

For the season, he ranked fifth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.849), seventh in defensive rebounds (6.0), 10th in total rebounds (7.3) and 12th in scoring (16.8). Averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in two NCAA Tournament games…Led Duke in rebounds 11 times, scoring eight times and assists six times on the year…Scored in double figures 26 times, including seven games with at least 20 points, and recorded three double-doubles…Threw down a team-high 18 dunks on the season…Finished the season ranked fourth on Duke’s freshman charts in free throws made (118), fifth in rebound average (7.3) and free throw percentage (.849), sixth in scoring average (16.8) and 10th in minutes (33.3)…Made his Duke debut in the home win over Maine (12/3), finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds…Lit up No. 21 Florida for 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting and eight rebounds in the Jimmy V Classic win at Madison Square Garden (12/6)…Scored 22 points on just nine field goal attempts and added four steals in a home win over Boston College (1/7)…Dropped a season-high 28 points to go along with eight boards in the victory at No. 15 Virginia (2/15); tied Duke’s single-game freshman record with six three-pointers on the night…Recorded his second double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds at Syracuse (2/22)…Scored 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting to help Duke down No.

As the #2-seed entering the NCAA tournament, Duke defeated Troy in the first round but exited early in a second-round loss against South Carolina. Tatum averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the tournament. Tatum was named to the All-ACC Tournament team after averaging 22.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game for the Blue Devils.

NBA Career with the Boston Celtics

After one season at Duke, Tatum declared for the NBA draft. Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge traded the team's No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers for the third overall pick, which the Celtics used to select Jayson Tatum. Tatum was the Celtics' second consecutive No. 3 pick for a small forward, following Jaylen Brown in 2016, whom Tatum formed a duo with.

Early Years (2017-2020)

During the 2017 NBA Summer League event in Utah, Tatum averaged 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 2.0 assists in nearly 33 minutes of action. Later, in Las Vegas, Tatum produced similar results, averaging 17.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.8 blocks in nearly 32 minutes of action in three games. Tatum made his NBA debut on October 17, 2017, as a 19-year-old, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Tatum was named the December Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, averaging 14.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. In addition, he shot 52.9 percent from the field and 45.1 percent from the three-point range. His coach, Brad Stevens, predicted great things for the young player, saying, “He’s going to be able to shoot it deeper, and he’s going to be able to make it off running once he gets a little bit stronger, more used to it, and everything else. He’s going to be a heck of a shooter.” Tatum finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting, behind Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell.

The Celtics finished the season with a 55-27 record, entering the 2018 NBA playoffs as the #2-seed in the Eastern Conference. On April 30, in Game 1 of the second-round series against the #3-seed Philadelphia 76ers, Tatum had a then career-high 28 points during a 117-101 victory, becoming the first Celtics rookie to score 25 or more points in a playoff game since Larry Bird during the 1980 NBA playoffs, also against the 76ers. Three days later, after posting 21 points in a Game 2 108-103 victory, Tatum became the youngest player ever to score at least 20 points in four straight playoff games at the age of 20 years, 61 days, surpassing Kobe Bryant who accomplished that feat during the 1999 NBA playoffs at the age of 20 years, 272 days. After leading the Celtics with 24 points in a Game 3 101-98 overtime victory in Philadelphia on May 5, Tatum became the first Celtics rookie to score 20 points in five straight playoff games. Tatum was the Celtics’ leading scorer in the 2017-18 playoffs, and he became the first rookie since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to score 20-plus points in 10 postseason games. The Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games.

In the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Celtics were able to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in Tatum's three years in the NBA following series victories over the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors in four and seven games, respectively.

Ascending to Stardom (2020-2023)

On May 4, Tatum brought the Celtics back from a 32-point deficit against the San Antonio Spurs, a performance that produced the third-largest comeback in NBA history and gave Tatum a career-high of 60 points, tying him with Larry Bird for the highest points total by a Celtics player. In the first game of the play-in tournament on May 18, Tatum scored 50 points, guiding the Celtics to a 118-100 victory over the Washington Wizards and cementing the team as the #7-seed in the Eastern Conference into the 2021 NBA playoffs; Kemba Walker, Tatum's teammate, had 29 points while only one other player (Tristan Thompson) had 10 or more points. On May 28, in Game 3 of the first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets and their "Big Three" (Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving), Tatum scored 50 points on 50% shooting (16/30), and put up six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in the 125-119 victory. With the feat, he achieved a variety of records, becoming the first player in NBA playoff history to score 50 points after scoring single digits the previous game; Tatum also passed 1,000 points in the playoffs and became the fifth-highest postseason point scorer at age 23 or younger in NBA history as well as the first Celtics player since Isaiah Thomas to score 50+ points in the NBA playoffs and the third youngest player in NBA playoff history to reach that mark in a single game.

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On October 25, 2021, in a 140-129 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Tatum recorded 41 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists to lead the Celtics to their first win of the season. On January 23, 2022, he scored a then season-high 51 points along with 10 rebounds, seven assists, and a career-high nine three-pointers in a blowout 116-87 victory over the Washington Wizards. On February 3, Tatum was selected for his third consecutive All-Star appearance. On March 3, Tatum scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to go along with six rebounds and five assists in a 120-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Three days later against the Brooklyn Nets, Tatum topped his season-high with 54 points, scoring 34 of them in the second half of the 126-120 victory.

On April 17, during Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs against the Nets, Tatum had 31 points and eight assists. He hit the game-winning layup to narrowly win 115-114. Six days later in Game 3, Tatum posted 39 points, five rebounds, six assists, and a playoff career-high six steals in the 109-103 victory. On April 25, the Celtics swept the Nets 116-112 to advance to the second round of the playoffs. On May 9, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Tatum recorded 30 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists during a 116-108 victory over the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks to tie the series at 2-2. Six days later in Game 6, he tallied 46 points, nine rebounds, and four assists to lead the Celtics to a 108-95 victory and force a Game 7 in Boston. On May 15, in Game 7, Tatum posted 23 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in a 109-81 victory, thus securing the Celtics a place in the Eastern Conference Finals. On May 23, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Tatum recorded 31 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in a 102-82 blowout victory over the Miami Heat to tie the series at 2-2. During the decisive Game 7 of the series six days later, he had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in a 100-96 victory to lead the Celtics to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010.

In the 2021-22 season the Celtics made it to the NBA Finals for the first time in Tatum’s career. The team’s path to the championship series included a thrilling Eastern Conference finals win against the Miami Heat. In the decisive seventh game Tatum scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds and 6 assists, which helped him win the inaugural Larry Bird Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Tatum also did an impressive job shutting down Miami star Jimmy Butler. But Tatum fared poorly in a six-game series loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, shooting just 36.7 percent from the field and making 23 turnovers. He also set a postseason record with 100 total turnovers.

On November 30, 2022, Tatum recorded 49 points and 11 rebounds while making eight three-pointers in a 134-121 victory over the Miami Heat. He became the youngest player in NBA history to make 900 three-pointers, doing so at 24 years old and surpassing the previous record set by Bradley Beal at 25 years old. On January 5, 2023, Tatum put up his second career triple-double with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 124-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Six days later against the New Orleans Pelicans, Tatum had 31 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in a 125-114 victory. It was the tenth time that he and Brown (41 points) combined to score 70+ points. The Celtics were undefeated in those games. On January 16, Tatum scored a season-high 51 points, along with nine rebounds and five assists on 15-of-23 shooting, 7-of-12 from three, and 14-of-14 from the free throw line during a 130-118 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. He also surpassed Larry Bird for the most 50-point regular season games in Celtics history. Three days later against the Golden State Warriors, in a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals, Tatum recorded 34 points alongside a career-high 19 rebounds, six assists, and three steals during the 121-118 overtime victory. He became the first Celtic to record 30+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a game since Paul Pierce did so in 2002. On February 10, he scored 41 points on 5-of-10 shooting from three-point range in a 127-116 victory over the Hornets, becoming the youngest player at 24 years and 244 days old to reach 1,000 career three-pointers. On February 19, playing for the NBA All-Star Game, Tatum tallied 55 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, breaking Anthony Davis's previous All-Star record high of 52 points, and also won the game's Most Valuable Player award. Tatum also became the first player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in the regular season, the playoffs, and the All-Star Game. On February 25, he had 18 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists while also making the game-winning three-pointer in a 110-107 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. On March 18, Tatum became the first player of the season to score at least 2,000 points in a 118-117 loss to the Utah Jazz. Three days later, he scored 36 points in a 132-109 victory over the Sacramento Kings. It was Tatum's 39th 30-point game of the season, tying Larry Bird's record for the most 30-point games in a season in Celtics history. On March 24, Tatum scored 34 points, setting a franchise record with his 40th 30-point game of the season, and the Celtics rolled to a 120-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Six days later, Tatum put up 40 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field (8-of-10 from deep) in a 140-99 blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The following season (2022-23), Tatum finished fourth in the MVP voting, averaging 30.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. In the playoffs he led the Celtics to victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, scoring 51 points in a decisive seventh-game rout, 112-88. But the Celtics lost a rematch of the Eastern Conference finals to the Heat. Tatum rolled his ankle at the beginning of the seventh game and said afterward that he was a “shell of myself” following the injury. He was limited to just 14 points.

On May 23, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Tatum posted 33 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in a 116-99 victory over the Heat. He also surpassed Paul Pierce for the most playoff three-pointers made in Celtics history. The Celtics lost the series in seven games, despite rallying from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7.

Championship Run and Continued Success (2023-Present)

Tatum reduced his scoring load slightly in 2023-24, to 26.9 points per game, and finished sixth in MVP voting. In the playoffs he had a quieter offensive performance, averaging 25.0 points per game, his lowest in five years, but he made up for it with strong playmaking (6.3 assists per game) and rebounding (9.7 per game).

On February 13, 2024, Tatum put up 41 points, 31 of them in the first half-tying his career high for points scored in a first half-14 rebounds, five assists, and five three-pointers in a 118-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Tatum’s well-rounded play helped propel the Celtics to their 18th NBA championship. In Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks on June 9, Tatum recorded a near triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds in a 105-98 victory. Three days later in Game 3, he had 31 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 106-99 victory. Tatum and Jaylen Brown became the first Celtics duo to each post at least 30/5/5 in an NBA Finals game. In doing so, they also surpassed Larry Bird and Kevin McHale for the most 25-point games as a Celtics duo in playoff history. The Celtics went on to win the series in five games, with Tatum recording 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds during the 106-88 close-out victory in Game 5 on June 17. Tatum became the sixth player to lead his team in points, rebounds and assists during a championship run. The only other players to do this were Nikola Jokić, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Larry Bird.

Tatum had another excellent season in 2024-25, averaging 26.8 points and a career-high 6 assists per game. On November 16, 2024, Tatum put up 24 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, alongside a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer in a 126-123 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors. On December 21, Tatum scored a season-high 43 points along with 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a 123-98 win over the Chicago Bulls. He became just the fifth player in NBA history to record 40+ points, 15+ rebounds, 10+ assists and 5+ 3s in a game, joining James Harden (2x), DeMarcus Cousins, Russell Westbrook and Vince Carter. Tatum is also the first player in Celtics history to record 40+ points, 15+ boards and 10+ dimes in a game. On January 25, 2025, Tatum was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, marking his sixth consecutive selection and his third selection in a row as a starter. On February 20, Tatum put up his fourth career triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 124-104 win. On February 28, Tatum recorded season-highs with 46 points and 16 rebounds along with nine assists and three blocks in a 123-116 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics entered the playoffs hoping to be repeat champions but encountered unexpectedly fierce resistance from the New York Knicks in the second round. On April 29, in Game 5 of the first ro…

National Team Career

Tatum has also represented the United States on the international stage. He was a member of the U.S. team that won the men’s basketball under-19 world championship and the men’s basketball team that won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics (scheduled for 2020 but held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic). Tatum won another gold medal with the men’s national team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Coming off his championship-winning season with the Celtics, Tatum had a surprisingly small role on the team, averaging only 17.7 minutes and 5.3 points per game.

Accolades and Achievements

Tatum's impressive career has been marked by numerous accolades and achievements, including:

NBA Champion (2024)
6-time NBA All-Star
5-time All-NBA selection (including four First Team selections)
All-NBA First Team selection (2023-24)
Eastern Conference Player of the Month (February)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (2018)
Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP (2022)
NBA All-Star Game MVP (2023)
Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year
McDonald’s All-American
All-ACC Tournament First Team (2017)
ACC All-Freshman Team (2017)
USBWA All-District III Honors (2017)

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