Jayson Tatum's age and growth with the Boston Celtics: How does the 3x All-Star compare to other Celtics legends like Paul Pierce, Larry Bird, and more at age 24?
Jayson Tatum's growth with the Boston Celtics has been impressive. The 24-year-old forward is currently in his sixth season with the franchise. He has already earned a lot of accolades.
Last season, Tatum led the Celtics to their first NBA Finals appearance in 12 years. The superstar won the Larry Bird Trophy, which is given to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
Jayson Tatum has averaged a career-high in points (30.8) through six games this season. He's also been very efficient, converting 55.7% of his field-goal attempts.
This article will compare Jayson Tatum's growth to the growth of other Boston Celtics legends at the age of 24.
Jayston Tatum and Larry Bird
The Eastern Conference Finals MVP Award is named after Larry Bird. Bird won three championships and established himself as one of the game's best two-way players during his 13 NBA seasons.
Bird had a lot of success in a relatively short period of time. He was 24 during his sophomore season and was already one of the toughest players to guard.
Larry Bird did not make a huge leap at the age of 24. He was amazing from the moment he entered the league. He posted nearly identical stats in the first two seasons of his career.
During his sophomore season, Bird averaged 21.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and two steals.
Tatum averages more points than the Celtics legend. But the three-time NBA champion was better in almost every other statistical category.
Jayson Tatum's growth is similar to Paul Pierce's
Paul Pierce is another all-time great forward who played for the Boston Celtics. Pierce spent the first 13 years of his career with the franchise. He won the NBA title in 2008.
Jayson Tatum's career path is very similar to Pierce's. They are both lottery picks who took a few years to develop into superstars.
Paul Pierce had a breakout season in his third year in the league. He increased his scoring from 19.5 to 25.3 points per game. He was also a very efficient shooter
At 24-years old, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 26.1 points and 6.9 rebounds. This was during the 2001-02 season. Pierce had career-high averages across the board.
Jayson Tatum also had a breakout season in his third year. He earned himself a bigger role on the team and increased his scoring from 15.7 to 23.4 points per game. He is now one of the top 10 players in the league.
John Havlicek's growth was impressive as well
John Havlicek is another legendary forward who played for the Celtics. Like Larry Bird, 'Hondo' began his professional basketball career relatively late. He entered the league when he was 22.
Havlicek was in his third season with the Celtics at the age of 24. He averaged 18.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. The swingman eventually became a great all-around player, but he needed a few more years to polish his game.
Havlicek played for the Boston Celtics during their golden era. In 16 years, the 6-foot-5 forward won eight championships and was selected to 13 All-Star teams. He was also the 1974 NBA Finals MVP.
When it comes to individual stats, Jayson Tatum improved his game much quicker than Havlicek. However, his ultimate goal is to win a championship. He was only two wins away from accomplishing that last postseason.