Jayson Tatum has had an incredible rookie year. He came out of the gates hot, then simmered off a bit—seemingly hitting the rookie wall—but he's been at his best in the playoffs. He's become one of Boston's go-to scorers and is averaging 18.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from the field.
It's crazy to consider that he recently turned 20. Just six years ago, Tatum was a middle schooler hoping for a follow back from LeBron James.
@KingJames Follow back it's Larry Hughes nephew from st. Louis and Abe and Rj Lil cousin and Justin Son Follow Back pic.twitter.com/AnOnb7E8
Larry Hughes, LeBron's former teammate in Cleveland and an NBA guard for 14 years, is Tatum's godfather. For what it's worth, we looked through all 719 accounts Tatum follows and it appears he no longer follows King James. LeBron, who follows 181 accounts, does not follow Tatum.
This tweet has resurfaced, of course, because Tatum and LeBron will now go head to head in the Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland swept No. 1 seed Toronto while Boston outlasted a pesky, young Sixers squad.
The Celtics sealed the deal with a 114-112 win Wednesday. In that game, Tatum put up 25 points, four assists, and three rebounds in 39 minutes of action. His squad will continue to rely on his versatile offensive productivity and improved defense. They'll need Tatum at his best to have a shot at knocking off the red-hot Cavs.
