Jayson Tatum has been clear about his plans with the Boston Celtics this season. Throughout the season, the forward expressed his desire to win it big with the franchise, so losing individual accolades didn’t affect him.
However, his role change didn’t go well with the critics, who pointed out his lack of scoring abilities. Amid all the criticisms, he pulled out some stellar performances on the big stage, surpassing the record of NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
Before ending Game 5 of the NBA Finals series on Monday, Tatum moved ahead of Kobe as the player with maximum playoff points at 26. The Duke graduate needed 16 points to cross the Black Mamba’s 2,694 playoff points before turning 27. Kobe made the record by appearing in 119 games with the Lakers, while it took Tatum 113 games to break the record.
The former Duke forward finished the historic night of their 18th championship win with a game-high 31 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals, missing the triple-double by an inch. His 2,711 playoff points made him sit at the top of the list in his seventh season with the Celtics.
Following the Celtics’ dominant 106-88 victory, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown won their first Larry O’Brien Trophy and etched their names alongside the Lakers’ legendary duo.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Join Shaq and Kobe Duo in NBA History
Every basketball fan knows how impactful Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s partnership has been in the Purple and Gold. While no other duo could come close to them, Tatum and Brown achieved a similar feat as them on Monday.
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Following their outstanding performance at the TD Garden, they became the only teammate duo to score 450+ points each consecutively in three postseason tournaments after Kobe & Shaq did it in 2000-2002. Both the Celtics players have performed remarkably since the 2022 playoffs to rewrite history.
After their grand night, Tatum will get minimal rest as he has to start preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics, while Brown can enjoy his NBA Finals MVP for a longer time.
