As Jayson Tatum celebrates 27th birthday, it's clear he's become a face of the NBA
Jayson Tatum is no longer a 19-year-old rising star for the Boston Celtics. As he turns 27 on Monday, Tatum has become a full-fledged superstar for the Celtics and one of the faces of the NBA.
There is no singular face of the league right now, but many will argue that Tatum is not one of the stars at the forefront of the Association. The doubters and haters love to say that Boston's star isn't clutch enough or doesn't possess that killer instinct. The phrase "corny" is thrown around more with Tatum than any other player in the league.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all have solid arguments to be at the face of the league, and no one ever forget that Steph Curry and LeBron James are still doing their thing. But over his eight seasons in the NBA, Tatum has built an incredible resume for the Celtics on the court while continually showcasing the kind of off-court persona the league should want out of its stars.
Jayson Tatum's résumé at 27
Tatum reached the top of the NBA world last summer when he helped lead the Celtics to the franchise's 18th NBA championship. His fingerprints are all over a title banner in the TD Garden, and no one can ever take that away from him. While Tatum struggled with his shot during Boston's title run, he still led the team in points, rebounds, and assists en route to the champiionship.
One ring is never enough in Boston, and Tatum will have to add a few more to etch himself alongside other Celtics greats. But he's made incredible strides to become an all-around threat whenever he takes the court (averaging a career-best 8.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season to go along with strong defense each night this season) and is already in some select company in NBA history.
With 13,406 points so far in his career, Tatum is sixth all time in points scored by a player before their 27th birthday. Only James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady scored more points ahead of their 27th birthday. All of those players are either in the Hall of Fame or will be some day, and it certainly seems like Tatum will be taking a spot in Springfield after his playing days come to an end.
Of that group, only Durant played in fewer games than Tatum, who played 59 fewer games than James before turning 27. Tatum also owns the NBA record for most three-pointers made before his 27th birthday, draining 1,502 shots from downtown.
Tatum is also one of just three players in NBA history to score at least 13,000 points and corral 4,000 rebounds before their 27th birthday, joining James and Wilt Chamberlain in that exclusive group.
The accolades do not stop there for Tatum's career. He's been named to six All-Star teams over his eight seasons, and earned MVP honors of the exhibition in 2023 when he scored a record 53 points. He has earned All-NBA honors four times, including a spot on the First Team in each of his last three seasons.
While teammate Jaylen Brown was the MVP of the NBA Finals last year, Tatum does have some postseason MVP hardware under his belt. He was the Eastern Conference Finals MVP in 2022 after the C's beat the Miami Heat in seven games. He also has the most points in NBA history in a Game 7, after he dropped 51 points on the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 2022-23 postseason.
Away from the NBA, Tatum also owns a pair of Gold Medals in the Olympics. And his wins aren't just reserved for the basketball court.
Tatum's new family-focused commercial
Off the hardwood, Tatum's focus is squarely on his family, which is why we don't see much of a social life from the 27-year-old. When he is seen, it's usually enjoying time with his son, Deuce, or his mother, Brady Cole, whom he's always shared an incredible connection with.
Tatum and his mother were featured in a new commercial for Amica Insurance, a principal sponsor of the Boston Celtics, which made it crystal clear how important family is for the Celtics star.
Tatum has never been caught up in any off-court issues throughout his career. The biggest controversy he's been involved in came last summer when Steve Kerr sat him amid his shooting struggles during the Olympics. Even then, Tatum remained even-keeled and put the team's success over his personal ambitions.
So why isn't Tatum the face of the NBA? It's a great question, and one that Tatum touched on in a recent interview with Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
"If you took the name and the face away from all my accomplishments and you're just like, 'This is what this Player A accomplished at 26,' people would talk about me a lot differently," Tatum told Lee.
He's got a great point, though that line is slightly outdating with Tatum completing another trip around the sun on Monday. But given all he has accomplished ahead of his 27th birthday, the NBA is going to have to deal with Jayson Tatum for a long, long time as the humble superstar continues to do incredible things for the Boston Celtics.
