Nick Wright finally is willing to admit what most of the NBA universe already knew about Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
Wright long has been reluctant to slap the “superstar” label on Tatum, even as Boston surged down the stretch and into the NBA playoffs, but the FS1 talking head officially changed his tune Tuesday on “First Things First,” granting the 24-year-old admission into his “Club Superstar.”
The fictional “club” consists of 12 top-tier players, with Tatum joining the following: LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokić.
Wright explained that while the “club” is limited to 12 “superstars,” the group of players is subject to change. Which is good news for the likes of Devin Booker, Trae Young, Jimmy Butler and Anthony Edwards, each of whom is “waiting in line,” according to Wright.
To make room for Tatum, Wright kicked out Anthony Davis, an eight-time NBA All-Star who was limited to just 40 games this season for the underwhelming Los Angeles Lakers.
Of course, none of this really matters. It’s a fake “club” thrown around by one man chatting hoops on TV. But it’s further evidence of how far Tatum has come this season, blossoming into an all-around player who’s now a household name and discussed in the same breath as basketball’s elite.
Consider what Wright tweeted about Tatum back on March 7:
“Superstar” is a very specific term in the NBA. At any given time there can’t be more than 12 guys, there’s typically only 7 or 8.
Jayson Tatum is clearly and obviously NOT one of those guys.
Flash forward two months, and the Celtics are two wins shy of reaching the Eastern Conference finals after evening their best-of-seven series with the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.
And Tatum, who enjoyed a late scoring surge Monday night in Boston’s Game 4 victory, finally has a “club” stamp on his hand courtesy of one of the Celtics’ biggest critics.
