Jayson Tatum recently shared on Instagram, "The reason I started to play this game, the reason I fell in love with this game," after learning about Kobe Bryant’s passing four years ago.
On Monday, Tatum won his first NBA title and broke Kobe’s record for most playoff points before turning 27. The "Black Mamba" would be proud of him.
Tatum scored 15 points in the first half and ended with 31 points, surpassing both Bryant and LeBron James on the list of playoff scorers before age 27.
Breaking Records:
Tatum now holds an impressive record:
- Tatum: 113 games, 2,711 points, 1 NBA title
- Bryant: 119 games, 2,694 points, 3 NBA titles
- James: 92 games, 2,578 points
It’s amazing that Tatum has more playoff points than Bryant at a similar career stage. Some might argue that Bryant didn’t start strong or that James began his playoffs later.
However, Tatum made the most of his opportunities. As a rookie at just 19 years old, he led his team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018.
Fans probably think it’s incredible how consistent Tatum has been since then. He led the Celtics to four more conference finals and two NBA Finals appearances.
At this rate, Tatum is likely to break many postseason scoring records. He already surpassed Larry Bird for most playoff points through seven seasons in NBA history.
What do you think about Tatum’s future?
