“Getting to the championship and losing was the worst feeling ever.” Without a doubt, Boston Celtics star, Jayson Tatum, is a man on a mission. Getting a taste of the Finals, last season, and coming close to a championship has undoubtedly fueled his fire.
The Boston Celtics have opened up their 2022-23 season with a 3-0 record, and Tatum has a lot to do with the early success thus far. Not to take anything away from Jaylen Brown, who has put up amazing numbers (that has fans believing the Jay’s are the best duo in the NBA), but the chip on Tatum’s shoulder can’t be ignored. Especially after dropping 40 points this past Saturday against the Orlando Magic – the best start in Celtics history!
The All-NBA star had just chipped in 35 points in the season-opening win against the Sixers, and then 29 points in a victory over Miami. There was no slowing Tatum down this past Saturday in Orlando. His 40-point contribution this weekend was his 15th career 40+ effort!
If we took a look back at Tatum’s numbers since his rookie season, 5 years ago, he had always started the season lukewarm, giving explosive performances, sporadically, throughout the year.
But as initially stated, this basketball season is different. It’s straight tunnel vision, as he looks to help carry the Celtics back into the NBA Finals. Now, with 104 total points, Tatum officially holds the franchise’s record for “most points scored through the first three games.” And you know who he surpassed in order to do so? Larry “Legend” Bird held the previous franchise-best of 96 points through the first three games in the 1984-85 season.
So, is Tatum set out to be another one of the Boston Celtics legends? If he continues to perform at this level and can help raise Banner 18, there’s no doubt his name will be etched into the franchise’s storied history. At just 24 years old, Jayson Tatum is not only showing, but proving that he’s bound to be a legend in the game.
