Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Has Unsurprising Pick For NBA’s Best Player

When it comes to the conversation of the NBA’s best players, there are few that outshine Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum.

The four-time All-Star has one name in mind, however.

In an interview alongside NBA stars Luka Doncic, Ja Morant and Donovan Mitchell, ESPN’s Malika Andrews asked Tatum who he believed the best player in the league was. After a split-second of deliberation, he made his choice.

“If I had to pick, I think I might say Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” Tatum admitted on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” “The way he impacts both sides; scoring, rebounding, how hard he plays. We all have off nights, but when he has an off night it’s still 25 and 15 instead of 40 and 20.”

If Tatum gave any answer other than Antetokounmpo it would have been surprising, as no opponent has helped define his career more than the Milwaukee Bucks star. The two All-Stars have matched up in the postseason in three of Tatum’s six full seasons, with the Celtics cornerstone piece coming out on top twice. They’ve even put together some memorable regular-season performances, where Antetokounmpo has a slight edge in wins, 10-9.

A mutual respect has been cultivated between the two, as Antetokounmpo made Tatum the first starter pick in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game draft.

Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, is having another exceptional season. The 28-year-old is averaging 31.8 points, 12.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists on the season, putting himself back in contention to take home some end-of-season awards. Tatum, however, has been just as good, averaging 30.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in what many believe to be an MVP-caliber campaign.

As the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the Eastern Conference, respectively, the Celtics and Bucks are undoubtedly on a crash course to meet again in the postseason. Good news for fans of the Tatum and Antetokounmpo battles.