Jayson Tatum

Jayson Christopher Tatum Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Anomaly," Tatum was selected by the Celtics with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. His accomplishments include winning an NBA championship in 2024, receiving the inaugural NBA Eastern Conference finals MVP award in 2022, and earning gold medals as part of the 2020 and 2024 U.S. Olympic teams. He is a six-time NBA All-Star and a five-time All-NBA selection.

Born on March 3, 1998, Tatum attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in Creve Coeur, Missouri, where he played under a college preparatory curriculum. In high school, he earned 2013 Metro Catholic Conference Co-Player of the Year, second-team Naismith Trophy All-American honors as a junior, and led Chaminade to a Missouri Class 5A state championship as a senior. Rated a five-star recruit, Tatum was named the 2016 Gatorade National Player of the Year, played in the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game, and participated in the Jordan Brand Classic before committing to Duke University.

During his sole college season with the Duke Blue Devils in 2016–17, Tatum averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game across 29 appearances. After missing the first eight games due to a foot injury, he helped Duke capture the ACC tournament championship and was selected to the All-ACC Tournament team, the ACC All-Freshman team, and the All-ACC Third Team. Following Duke's second-round exit in the NCAA tournament, Tatum declared for the 2017 NBA draft as a one-and-done prospect.

After joining the Boston Celtics in 2017, Tatum formed the team's "Jays" duo alongside Jaylen Brown. In his 2017–18 debut season, he earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, recorded multiple 20-point playoff performances, and helped lead Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals. In subsequent seasons, he won the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge and earned his first NBA All-Star and All-NBA selections during the 2019–20 season, helping the Celtics reach another Eastern Conference Finals. In November 2020, he signed a five-year extension with Boston and later recorded single-game scoring milestones of 53 and 60 points during the 2020–21 season.

Tatum led Boston to a league-best 64 wins and an NBA championship title in 2024. Throughout his career, he has achieved several scoring records, including the most points scored in an NBA All-Star Game (55), the most points scored in a Game 7 of any NBA playoffs series (51), and the most points scored in the NBA playoffs at his age.