Jayson Tatum books seat alongside LeBron and Jokic, becomes only 5th ever to lead team in all stats
Jayson Tatum has once again taken the Boston Celtics to a deep playoff run. The superstar forward reached a new level with his game this season and hasn't slowed down since the 2024 NBA playoffs started.
In doing so, Tatum joined an exclusive group of players who have taken their teams to the Finals while leading them in points, rebounds and assists in a single postseason run.
Jayson Tatum has averaged 26.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 14 games this year, joining the likes of LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd.
A common and promising factor for Tatum is that three players in this group ended up winning champions during these seasons.
The most recent case is Nikola Jokic, who did it last year, taking the Denver Nuggets to the promised land while averaging 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 20 games.
Before the Serbian big man, LeBron James did it from 2012 through 2015, winning two titles in the process with the Miami Heat (2012 and 2013).
James posted 30.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg and 5.6 apg in 23 games in 2012. He followed with 25.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg and 6.6 apg in the same number of games in 2013. The following year, "King James" averaged 27.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 4.8 apg in 20 games. Then, he did the same with 30.1 ppg, 11.3 rpg and 8.5 apg in 20 games in 2015, this time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan was the second player to join this group. During the 2003 NBA playoffs, the former No. 1 pick averaged 24.7 ppg, 15.4 rpg and 5.3 apg in 24 games.
The first player in this club who couldn't win the NBA championship, Jason Kidd failed to beat the LA Lakers in 2002. The legendary point guard put on 19.6 ppg, 9.1 apg and 8.2 rpg in 20 games, but couldn't finish the job against the Lakers.
Jayson Tatum will try to win his first NBA championship this season
The Boston Celtics have barely faced big opposition during the 2024 NBA playoffs. They just beat the Indiana Pacers tonight to advance to the NBA Finals with a sweep against "Indy".
Jayson Tatum has been questioned for his lack of wins in the NBA and this year presents a big opportunity to change the narrative. Jaylen Brown was crowned the Eastern Conference finals MVP, but "JT" might be aiming higher in the championship series.