Nearly a yr after Jayson Tatum gained the inaugural Larry Bird Trophy, the award given to the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics participant lastly obtained to satisfy the Boston legend himself.
Just earlier than tipoff on the NBA All-Star sport on Sunday in Indianapolis, Bird joined NBA commissioner Adam Silver and basketball icon Julius Irving within the Eastern Conference locker room. Tatum sat in awe, listening to Bird’s pre-game speech.
It solely took seven years as a Celtic, however Tatum lastly made it into the identical room because the franchise hero.
“I got a chance to go meet him and tell him how much of an honor it was to meet him. He told me he was looking forward to meeting me. So that was crazy to hear him say that,” Tatum stated.
“He’s a lot taller than I thought he was. But obviously what he means to the game, what he means to the city of Boston and the Celtics, he’s the ultimate Celtic.”
The interplay gave Tatum simply the spark he wanted earlier than taking to the ground and delivering a 211-186 loss to the Western Conference group.
“I got to meet him and I was anxious, so I got some juices flowing for the game right now,” Tatum stated.
Bird, a 12-time All-Star, watched from courtside as the subsequent technology of Celtics stars set to work. He spent all 13 years of his profession in Boston, throughout which he secured three MVP awards, three championships, and two Finals MVP awards.
Tatum is building a tremendous pedigree of his personal, too. The 25-year-old leads the 43-12 Celtics with the very best report within the league, holding a six-game benefit over the Cavaliers for the highest spot within the East. This season, Tatum is averaging 27.1 factors, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per sport.
While the Celtics have their eye on securing their first championship since 2008, Jaylen Brown stated enjoying within the All-Star sport provides him and Tatum the chance to additional the legacy that Bird helped set up for the organization.
“I think it’s just another platform to continue to raise for yourself but also raise for the city of Boston, just represent,” Brown stated. “I think that’s what we kind of look at it as. That’s what we’ve become.”
The Celtics leap again into common season play on Thursday, dealing with off in opposition to the Bulls in Chicago at 8 p.m.
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