Jayson Tatum

3.2.1. 2017-18: Rookie Season

In his NBA debut on October 17, 2017, Tatum recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds as the team's starting power forward during a 102-99 season-opening loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then posted a season-high 24 points in a 110-89 victory over the New York Knicks on October 24. Tatum was named the Eastern Conference's Rookie of the Month for December 2017.

The Celtics finished the season with a 55-27 record, entering the 2018 NBA playoffs as the #2-seed in the Eastern Conference. On April 15, 2018, in Game 1 of the first-round series against the #7-seed Milwaukee Bucks, Tatum recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 113-107 overtime victory. A week later in Game 4, he broke his playoff-high with 21 points, and then again on April 26 in Game 6 with 22 points. Two days later, the Celtics defeated the Bucks in Game 7 by a score of 112-96, with Tatum scoring 20 points.

On April 30, in Game 1 of the second-round series against the #3-seed Philadelphia 76ers, Tatum had a then-career-high 28 points during a 117-101 victory, becoming the first Celtics rookie to score 25 or more points in a playoff game since Larry Bird during the 1980 NBA playoffs. Three days later, after posting 21 points in a Game 2 108-103 victory, Tatum became the youngest player ever to score at least 20 points in four straight playoff games at the age of 20 years and 61 days, surpassing Kobe Bryant. After leading the Celtics with 24 points in a Game 3 101-98 overtime victory in Philadelphia on May 5, Tatum became the first Celtics rookie to score 20 points in five straight playoff games, exceeding Bird's previous record of four. By the end of his playoff run, Tatum joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only rookies in playoff history to record 10 games of 20 or more points scored during their first playoff runs. LeBron James praised Tatum's performance, stating: "He's built for stardom." On May 22, 2018, Tatum was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team (First Team).

3.2.2. 2018-19: Sophomore Season

On October 16, 2018, during the season-opening 105-87 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, Tatum recorded 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Four days later, he had 24 points and 14 rebounds in a narrow 103-101 victory over the New York Knicks. On October 25, Tatum tallied 24 points and six rebounds in a 101-95 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. On November 16, he recorded 21 points and seven rebounds in a 123-116 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors. On December 25, Tatum had 23 points and 10 rebounds in a 121-114 overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. On February 5, 2019, he recorded 25 points and seven rebounds in a 103-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On March 6, Tatum recorded 24 points, three rebounds, and two assists in a 126-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings. During NBA All-Star Weekend, he won the Skills Challenge competition.

3.2.3. 2019-20: First All-Star and All-NBA Appearances

On December 22, 2019, Tatum recorded a then-career-high 39 points, along with 12 rebounds, in a 119-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. He exceeded that with a then-career-high 41 points against the New Orleans Pelicans in a 140-105 victory on January 11, 2020. On January 30, Tatum was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career, being selected as an Eastern Conference reserve. On February 13, Tatum again scored 39 points, playing 47 minutes and leading the Celtics to a 141-133 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. On February 23, he matched his then-career-high 41 points in a narrow 114-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. As the season was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tatum shot 2-of-18 in a 119-112 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on July 31, but he bounced back the next game scoring 34 points on 11-of-22 shooting in a 128-124 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on August 2. Tatum was named to the All-NBA Third Team, his first selection of his career.

In the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in Tatum's three years in the NBA, following series victories over the Philadelphia 76ers (a four-game sweep) and Toronto Raptors (in seven games). However, Boston was eliminated in the Conference Finals by the Miami Heat in six games. In Game 1, with the Celtics trailing by two in the closing seconds, Tatum's game-tying dunk attempt was blocked by Heat center Bam Adebayo with 4.8 seconds left, which propelled Miami to a 117-114 victory.

3.2.4. 2020-21: Growth and COVID Season

On November 22, 2020, Tatum and the Celtics agreed to a rookie maximum extension of five years, worth up to 195.00 M USD. During the narrow season-opening 122-121 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on December 23, 2020, Tatum totaled 30 points and seven rebounds, alongside a game-winning three-pointer. On January 3, 2021, he had 24 points and a career-high 12 assists and made another game-winning shot in a narrow 122-120 victory over the Detroit Pistons. The next day, Tatum scored a season-high 40 points in a 126-114 victory over the Toronto Raptors. On January 9, it was confirmed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and missed multiple games. He later revealed that he experienced lingering effects from the virus, including fatigue and shortness of breath. On February 23, Tatum was named an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, marking his second All-Star game in a row.

On April 9, Tatum had a then-career-high 53 points, 16 made field goals, and 15 made free throws in a 145-136 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. With this performance, Tatum became the youngest Celtics player to score 50+ points (at 23 years and 37 days old, surpassing Larry Bird's record set at 26 years and 113 days); he also scored the third-highest number of points in a Celtics uniform, behind Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, and became the second player in Celtics history to score 50+ points and grab 10+ rebounds since Bird did so in November 1989. Tatum and Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls became the second pair of players in the 2020-21 season to score 50+ points on the same day. On April 19, Tatum recorded his first career triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 102-96 loss to the Bulls.

On May 4, Tatum led the Celtics back from a 32-point deficit against the San Antonio Spurs, a performance that produced the third-largest comeback in NBA history and gave Tatum a career-high of 60 points, tying him with Larry Bird for the highest points total by a Celtics player. Tatum was one of three players to score 60+ points without a single turnover and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 42.7 points per game, 6.0 assists per game, and 6.0 rebounds per game.

In the first game of the play-in tournament on May 18, Tatum scored 50 points, guiding the Celtics to a 118-100 victory over the Washington Wizards and cementing the team as the #7-seed in the Eastern Conference into the 2021 NBA playoffs. Tatum set the record for most points in a single play-in tournament game, became one of an elite list of players who scored 50+ points in play-ins/playoffs, and singlehandedly outscored the Wizards in the third quarter and part of the fourth, and was a perfect 17/17 from the free throw line.

On May 28, in Game 3 of the first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets and their "Big Three" (Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving), Tatum scored 50 points on 50% shooting (16/30), and put up six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in the 125-119 victory. With the feat, he achieved a variety of records, becoming the first player in NBA playoff history to score 50 points after scoring single digits the previous game; Tatum also passed 1,000 points in the playoffs and became the fifth-highest postseason point scorer at age 23 or younger in NBA history as well as the first Celtics player since Isaiah Thomas to score 50+ points in the NBA playoffs and the third youngest player in NBA playoff history to reach that mark in a single game (at 23 years and 86 days old, behind Rick Barry and Michael Jordan). In terms of franchise records, Tatum became just the sixth player in Celtics history to score 50+ points in a playoff game; he also became the only player in NBA history to score 50+ points more than once in the regular season, 50+ points in a play-in game, and 50+ points in the playoffs. Despite losing to the Nets in five games, Tatum set a Celtics franchise record for most points scored in a three-game span in the playoffs, with a combined total of 122 points.

3.2.5. 2021-22: All-NBA First Team and First NBA Finals

Tatum led the league in plus-minus for the first time in his fifth season, cementing his status as one of the most valuable players in the NBA. On October 25, 2021, in a 140-129 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Tatum recorded 41 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists to lead the Celtics to their first win of the season. On January 23, 2022, he scored a then-season-high 51 points along with 10 rebounds, seven assists, and a career-high nine three-pointers in a blowout 116-87 victory over the Washington Wizards. On February 3, Tatum was selected for his third consecutive All-Star appearance. On March 3, Tatum scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter to go along with six rebounds and five assists in a 120-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Three days later against the Brooklyn Nets, Tatum topped his season-high with 54 points, scoring 34 of them in the second half of the 126-120 victory. This was the fourth time Tatum had netted 50+ points in a game in his career, tying Larry Bird for the most 50-point games in Celtics history. On March 7, Tatum was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 41.3 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, and 5.0 assists per game. Two days later against the Hornets, Tatum scored 16 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter of a 115-101 victory. On March 18, in a 126-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings, Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored at least 30 points in the same game for the fourth time in the season and eighth time overall; this tied the record of most such games with fellow Celtics Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, who also recorded four such games in the 1986-87 NBA season. In the next game, a 124-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets, Tatum and Brown broke the record by both scoring 30 points with over 60% shooting from the field. On March 28, Tatum became the first player in franchise history to be named Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks.

On April 17, during Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs against the Nets, Tatum had 31 points and eight assists. He hit the game-winning layup to narrowly win 115-114. Six days later in Game 3, Tatum posted 39 points, five rebounds, six assists, and a playoff career-high six steals in the 109-103 victory. On April 25, the Celtics swept the Nets 116-112 to advance to the second round of the playoffs. On May 9, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Tatum recorded 30 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists during a 116-108 victory over the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks to tie the series at 2-2. Six days later in Game 6, he tallied 46 points, nine rebounds, and four assists to lead the Celtics to a 108-95 victory and force a Game 7 in Boston. On May 15, in Game 7, Tatum posted 23 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in a 109-81 victory, thus securing the Celtics a place in the Eastern Conference Finals. On May 23, in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Tatum recorded 31 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in a 102-82 blowout victory over the Miami Heat to tie the series at 2-2. During the decisive Game 7 of the series six days later, he had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in a 100-96 victory to lead the Celtics to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010. Tatum was named the inaugural Eastern Conference Finals MVP after averaging 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in the series. During Game 1 of the Finals on June 2, he led the Celtics to a 120-108 comeback victory over the Golden State Warriors with 13 assists, the most assists recorded by a player in his Finals debut. The Celtics lost the series in six games despite a 2-1 lead. Tatum set the all-time NBA record with 100 turnovers in a single postseason.

3.2.6. 2022-23 Season: All-Star Game MVP

On November 30, 2022, Tatum recorded 49 points and 11 rebounds while making eight three-pointers in a 134-121 victory over the Miami Heat. He became the youngest player in NBA history to make 900 three-pointers, doing so at 24 years old and surpassing the previous record set by Bradley Beal at 25 years old. Tatum became the first NBA player to record multiple games of at least 45 points, 10 rebounds, and eight three-pointers. He also became the sixth NBA player to have multiple games with 45 points or more with 10 or more rebounds while committing at most one turnover, joining Anthony Davis (six games), Michael Jordan, Giannis Antetokounmpo (three each), Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony (two each). Tatum was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month, averaging 31.6 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game, and 4.5 assists per game in October and November. On December 13, Tatum recorded 44 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in a 122-118 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. On December 25, Tatum scored 20 of his 41 points in the third quarter to go along with seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals in a 139-118 blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. He and Jaylen Brown (29 points) combined for 70 points in a game for the eighth time in their careers.

On January 5, 2023, Tatum put up his second career triple-double with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 124-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Six days later against the New Orleans Pelicans, Tatum had 31 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in a 125-114 victory. It was the tenth time that he and Brown (41 points) combined to score 70+ points, with the Celtics being undefeated in those games. On January 16, Tatum scored a season-high 51 points, along with nine rebounds and five assists on 15-of-23 shooting, 7-of-12 from three, and 14-of-14 from the free throw line during a 130-118 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. He also surpassed Larry Bird for the most 50-point regular season games in Celtics history. Three days later against the Golden State Warriors, in a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals, Tatum recorded 34 points alongside a career-high 19 rebounds, six assists, and three steals during the 121-118 overtime victory. He became the first Celtic to record 30+ points, 15+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a game since Paul Pierce did so in 2002. Tatum also became the tenth player in NBA history to reach 9,000 career points before the age of 25. On January 26, Tatum was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, marking his fourth overall selection and first as a starter.

On February 10, he scored 41 points on 5-of-10 shooting from three-point range in a 127-116 victory over the Hornets, becoming the youngest player at 24 years and 244 days old to reach 1,000 career three-pointers. On February 19, playing for the NBA All-Star Game, Tatum tallied 55 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, breaking Anthony Davis's previous All-Star record high of 52 points, and also won the game's Most Valuable Player award. Tatum also became the first player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in the regular season, the playoffs, and the All-Star Game. On February 25, he had 18 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists while also making the game-winning three-pointer in a 110-107 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. On March 18, Tatum became the first player of the season to score at least 2,000 points in a 118-117 loss to the Utah Jazz. Three days later, he scored 36 points in a 132-109 victory over the Sacramento Kings. It was Tatum's 39th 30-point game of the season, tying Larry Bird's record for the most 30-point games in a season in Celtics history. On March 24, Tatum scored 34 points, setting a franchise record with his 40th 30-point game of the season, and the Celtics rolled to a 120-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Six days later, Tatum put up 40 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field (8-of-10 from deep) in a 140-99 blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. He also surpassed Paul Pierce for the second-most 40-point games in Celtics history with 22. Tatum finished the season with a 30.1 points per game average, becoming the only player in Celtics history to average at least 30 points per game in a season. His 2,225 total points scored throughout the season was also a league-best mark.

On April 27, in Game 6 of the first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, Tatum recorded 30 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists during the 128-120 close-out victory. On May 14, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he set a new record for the most points scored in a Game 7 with 51 points in a 112-88 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, surpassing a previous record that was set by Stephen Curry (50 points) earlier that year. Tatum also became the first player in Celtics history to put up multiple 50-point playoff games. He also became the first player to score 50+ points without any turnovers, the first to log 50+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a series-clinching victory, and the first to have scored 50+ points in a regular season game, the NBA All-Star game, and a playoff game, all in the same year.

On May 23, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Tatum posted 33 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in a 116-99 victory over the Heat. He also surpassed Paul Pierce for the most playoff three-pointers made in Celtics history. Four days later in Game 6, Tatum posted 31 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists as the Celtics won 104-103, behind Derrick White's game-winning buzzer-beater. On May 29, Tatum injured his ankle after a layup attempt less than a minute into Game 7 but managed to play for the rest of the 103-84 loss; however, Tatum's body language and unusual lack of explosiveness made it clear that he was playing through pain. During the post-game interview, Tatum addressed his ankle injury: "It was just frustrating that I was ... a shell of myself. It was tough to move. Just frustrating; it happening on the first play."

3.2.7. 2023-24 Season: First NBA Championship

On November 4, 2023, Tatum recorded 32 points and 11 rebounds in a 124-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets and became the youngest Celtic to reach 10,000 career points at 25 years and 246 days of age. On November 20, he scored a season-high 45 points to go along with 13 rebounds and six assists in a 121-118 overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets. On January 25, 2024, Tatum was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, marking his fifth consecutive selection and his second selection in a row as a starter.

On February 13, 2024, Tatum put up 41 points, 31 of them in the first half-tying his career high for points scored in a first half-14 rebounds, five assists, and five three-pointers in a 118-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. He also joined Larry Bird as the only players in Celtics franchise history to put up at least 25 40-point games. On March 9, Tatum and Brown combined for 56 points in a 117-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns; Tatum became the third Celtic to record 1,000 three-pointers, joining Paul Pierce and teammate Brown. The Celtics finished the regular season with the NBA's top seed and home-court advantage throughout the postseason for the first time since 2007-08.

On April 21, in Game 1 of the Celtics' first round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Tatum notched his first career playoff triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 114-94 victory. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers on May 21, Tatum scored 36 points, including 10 in overtime, along with 12 rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a 133-128 victory. Four days later in Game 3, he had 36 points again during a 114-111 comeback victory. The Celtics won the series in four games and advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals. Tatum became the sixth player in NBA history after Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, LeBron James, Nikola Jokić, and Luka Dončić to lead their team in points, rebounds, and assists while reaching the NBA Finals.

In Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks on June 9, Tatum recorded a near triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds in a 105-98 victory. Three days later in Game 3, he had 31 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 106-99 victory. Tatum and Jaylen Brown became the first Celtics duo to each post at least 30/5/5 in an NBA Finals game. In doing so, they also surpassed Larry Bird and Kevin McHale for the most 25-point games as a Celtics duo in playoff history. The Celtics went on to win the series in five games, with Tatum recording 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds during the 106-88 close-out victory in Game 5 on June 17. Tatum became the sixth player to lead his team in points, rebounds and assists during a championship run, joining Nikola Jokić, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Larry Bird. Tatum also led the Celtics in all three categories during the NBA Finals.

3.2.8. 2024-25: Record-breaking Extension

On July 1, 2024, Tatum signed a five-year contract extension worth up to 314.00 M USD, surpassing his superstar teammate Jaylen Brown's 304.00 M USD extension as the richest deal in NBA history.

On November 16, 2024, Tatum put up 24 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, alongside a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer in a 126-123 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors. On December 21, Tatum scored a season-high 43 points along with 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a 123-98 win over the Chicago Bulls. He became just the fifth player in NBA history to record 40+ points, 15+ rebounds, 10+ assists and 5+ three-pointers in a game, joining James Harden (2x), DeMarcus Cousins, Russell Westbrook and Vince Carter. Tatum is also the first player in Celtics history to record 40+ points, 15+ boards and 10+ dimes in a game. He also joined Larry Bird as the only Celtics with 40-point triple-doubles. On January 25, 2025, Tatum was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, marking his sixth consecutive selection and his third selection in a row as a starter. On February 20, Tatum put up his fourth career triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 124-104 win. On February 28, Tatum recorded season-highs with 46 points and 16 rebounds along with nine assists and three blocks in a 123-116 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the opening 24 minutes, the first player ever to reach those totals in a half during the play-by-play era (1997-98).