One night after coming up clutch once again in the Celtics’ overtime win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Bradley Beal Elite alum Jayson Tatum learned that he was once again selected for one of the highest honors in pro basketball.
For the third consecutive season, JT was named to the All-NBA First Team. The five-time All-Star averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, a career-high 4.9 assists and 1 block per game in his seventh NBA season this year, while leading the Celtics to a NBA-best 64-18 record. He led the Celtics in scoring, rebounding, shots made, three-pointers made, free throws made, and was second in assists and steals. He became just the seventh player in franchise history to earn three or more First Team All-NBA selections, joining Bob Cousy (10), Larry Bird (9), John Havlicek (4), Bill Sharman (4), Ed Macauley (3), and Bill Russell (3).
Jayson was also one of only four players league-wide to average at least 26.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. The other three were fellow First Teamers, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and league MVP Nikola Jokic. MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rounded out the All-NBA First Team.
In the postseason, Jayson has been on another level, averaging a double-double with 25.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while playing nearly 40 minutes per game. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, he scored 36 points, 10 of them coming in the five-minute overtime session, highlighted by a thirty-second stretch during which he had two three-point plays, one the old-fashioned way with a drive and a foul, and one with a step-back three-pointer that essentially put the game away with under a minute remaining.
“Big-time players make big-time plays,” Tatum said. “Simple as that.”
