Jayson Tatum facts for kids
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Tatum with the Boston Celtics in 2024
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| No. 0 – Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Small forward / power forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | March 3, 1998 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
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| High school | Chaminade (Creve Coeur, Missouri) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Duke (2016–2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2017–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–present | Boston Celtics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jayson Christopher Tatum Sr. (born March 3, 1998) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jayson was a top high school player, named a McDonald's All-American. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.
The Boston Celtics chose Jayson as the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. In his first year, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Jayson won the first-ever NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP award in 2022. He led his team to their first NBA championship in 2024. People sometimes call him "the Anomaly." He has been an NBA All-Star six times. Jayson has also won gold medals with the U.S. Olympic basketball teams in 2020 and 2024. He holds several NBA records, like scoring the most points in an NBA All-Star Game (55).
Contents
High School Basketball Journey
Jayson Tatum went to Chaminade College Preparatory School in Missouri. He was inspired by older players there. Jayson worked hard on his studies and basketball.
As a freshman, he averaged 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He helped his team win local championships. In his sophomore year (2014), he averaged 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds.
During his junior year, Jayson averaged 25.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. He played for the St. Louis Eagles, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team. He led the EYBL league in scoring with 26.5 points per game. Before his senior year, Jayson decided to play college basketball for Duke University.
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In his senior year (2015–16), Jayson averaged 29.6 points and 9.1 rebounds. He helped Chaminade win its second Missouri Class 5A state championship. He scored 40 points or more in six different games that year. Jayson was chosen for the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game. He led his team in scoring with 18 points. He also played in the Jordan Brand Classic. Jayson was named the 2016 Gatorade National Player of the Year.
College Basketball at Duke
Jayson missed the first eight games of the 2016–17 season because of a foot injury. He made his debut for Duke on December 3, 2016, scoring 10 points. He quickly showed his talent, scoring 22 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a game just three days later.
Jayson was named the ACC Freshman of the Week twice. He scored a season-high 28 points against Virginia. Duke won the ACC tournament championship. Jayson played a big part, averaging 22.0 points per game in the tournament.
In the NCAA tournament, Duke won their first game but lost in the second round. In his freshman season, Jayson played 29 games. He averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. After his successful freshman year, Jayson decided to enter the 2017 NBA draft.
Professional Career with the Boston Celtics
Starting Strong: Rookie Season (2017–18)
The Boston Celtics chose Jayson Tatum as the third pick in the 2017 NBA draft. He joined Jaylen Brown, who was also a No. 3 pick the year before. They became a strong duo for the Celtics. In his first NBA game, Jayson scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He scored a season-high 24 points against the New York Knicks. Jayson was named the Eastern Conference's Rookie of the Month for December 2017.
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The Celtics finished the season with a great record. In the 2018 NBA playoffs, Jayson played a key role. He scored 19 points and 10 rebounds in his first playoff game. He kept breaking his own playoff scoring records. He became the first Celtics rookie since Larry Bird to score 25 or more points in a playoff game. Jayson also became the youngest player to score at least 20 points in four straight playoff games. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team (First Team) at the end of the season.
Growing as a Player: Sophomore Season (2018–19)
In his second season, Jayson continued to improve. He scored 23 points and had nine rebounds in the first game of the season. He had 24 points and 14 rebounds in a close win against the New York Knicks. During the NBA All-Star Weekend, he won the Skills Challenge competition. This showed off his dribbling, passing, and shooting skills.
Becoming an All-Star (2019–20)
Jayson had a career-high 39 points in December 2019. He then topped that with 41 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. In January 2020, Jayson was named an NBA All-Star for the first time. He scored 39 points again in a double-overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers. He was also named to the All-NBA Third Team.
In the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals. They won against the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors. However, they lost to the Miami Heat in six games.
Big Scoring Nights (2020–21)
In November 2020, Jayson signed a big contract extension with the Celtics. He started the season strong, scoring 30 points and hitting a game-winning shot against the Milwaukee Bucks. He scored a season-high 40 points against the Toronto Raptors. In January 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19 and missed some games. He was still named an All-Star for the second time.
On April 9, Jayson had a career-high 53 points in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He became the youngest Celtics player to score 50+ points. He also tied Larry Bird for the most points ever scored by a Celtics player in a game with 60 points on May 4. This performance helped the Celtics come back from a 32-point deficit, one of the biggest comebacks in NBA history.
In the play-in tournament, Jayson scored 50 points to lead the Celtics to a win. This secured their spot in the 2021 NBA playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs, he scored 50 points again in a game against the Brooklyn Nets. He set many records with this performance. Even though the Celtics lost the series, Jayson set a team record for most points in a three-game span in the playoffs.
Reaching the NBA Finals (2021–22)
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Jayson continued to be a top player, leading the league in a stat called "plus-minus." He scored 41 points early in the season against the Charlotte Hornets. In January 2022, he scored a season-high 51 points against the Washington Wizards. He was selected for his third All-Star game.
On March 6, Jayson scored 54 points against the Brooklyn Nets. This was his fourth time scoring 50+ points, tying Larry Bird for the most in Celtics history. He and Jaylen Brown often scored 30 points each in games, setting a new Celtics record.
In the 2022 NBA playoffs, Jayson helped the Celtics sweep the Brooklyn Nets. He had 39 points and a playoff career-high six steals in one game. He then led the Celtics past the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks in a tough seven-game series. In Game 7, he scored 23 points to send the Celtics to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. Jayson was named the first-ever Eastern Conference Finals MVP. In his Finals debut, he had 13 assists, a record for a player in their first Finals game. The Celtics lost the series in six games.
All-Star Game MVP (2022–23)
In November 2022, Jayson scored 49 points and made eight three-pointers against the Miami Heat. He became the youngest NBA player to make 900 three-pointers. He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month. On December 13, he scored 44 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. On Christmas Day, he scored 41 points against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In January 2023, Jayson recorded his second career triple-double (scoring in double digits in three different stats) with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. He scored a season-high 51 points against the Charlotte Hornets, passing Larry Bird for the most 50-point regular season games in Celtics history. He was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.
On February 19, Jayson played in the All-Star Game and scored 55 points. This broke the All-Star Game scoring record and earned him the Most Valuable Player award. He became the first player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in the regular season, the playoffs, and the All-Star Game. He also set a Celtics record for the most 30-point games in a season. Jayson finished the season averaging 30.1 points per game, the highest in Celtics history.
In the 2023 NBA playoffs, Jayson set a new record for the most points scored in a Game 7 with 51 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. He became the first player to score 50+ points without any turnovers in a Game 7. The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals but lost in seven games to the Miami Heat. Jayson had an ankle injury early in Game 7, which made it tough for him to play his best.
Winning the NBA Championship (2023–24)
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In November 2023, Jayson became the youngest Celtic to reach 10,000 career points. He scored a season-high 45 points against the Charlotte Hornets. In January 2024, he was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game for the fifth time.
On February 13, 2024, Jayson scored 41 points against the Brooklyn Nets. He joined Larry Bird as the only Celtics players with at least 25 40-point games. He also became the third Celtic to make 1,000 three-pointers. The Celtics finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA.
In the 2024 NBA playoffs, Jayson recorded his first career playoff triple-double against the Miami Heat. In the Eastern Conference Finals, he scored 36 points twice against the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics won the series in four games and advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals. Jayson became one of only six players in NBA history to lead his team in points, rebounds, and assists while reaching the NBA Finals.
In the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, Jayson had 18 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds in Game 2. He and Jaylen Brown became the first Celtics duo to each score at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a Finals game. The Celtics won the series in five games, making Jayson an NBA champion! He led the Celtics in points, rebounds, and assists during their championship run.
Recent Season (2024–25)
On July 1, 2024, Jayson signed a huge five-year contract extension with the Celtics. It was the richest deal in NBA history at the time.
On November 16, 2024, Jayson scored 24 points, had 11 rebounds, and nine assists. He also hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer against the Toronto Raptors. On December 21, he scored a season-high 43 points, with 15 rebounds and 10 assists, against the Chicago Bulls. He became one of only five players in NBA history to have 40+ points, 15+ rebounds, 10+ assists, and 5+ three-pointers in a single game.
Jayson was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, his sixth straight selection. On February 20, he recorded his fourth career triple-double. On February 28, he had season-highs of 46 points and 16 rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the 2025 NBA playoffs, Jayson scored 35 points in a win against the Orlando Magic. He made 11 free throws without a miss, becoming the first player in NBA history to make 10+ free throws without a miss in three straight playoff games. He also tied Larry Bird for the second-most 35+ point playoff games for a Celtic. On May 12, in Game 4 of the second round, Jayson scored 42 points against the New York Knicks. He tied Larry Bird and John Havlicek for the most 40-point playoff games in Celtics history with five. Sadly, with less than three minutes left in that game, Jayson suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury. He had surgery and will miss the rest of the season and possibly the entire 2025–26 season.
Playing for Team USA
Jayson Tatum has played for the USA national basketball team multiple times. He won gold medals at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship and the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.
He was part of the 2020 Olympic team, which played in Tokyo in 2021. He helped Team USA win the gold medal, averaging 15.2 points per game. He was the second-highest scorer on the team. Jayson was also on the 2024 Olympic team and helped them win another gold medal in Paris.
Career Statistics
NBA Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Boston | 80 | 80 | 30.5 | .475 | .434 | .826 | 5.0 | 1.6 | 1.0 | .7 | 13.9 |
| 2018–19 | Boston | 79 | 79 | 31.1 | .450 | .373 | .855 | 6.0 | 2.1 | 1.1 | .7 | 15.7 |
| 2019–20 | Boston | 66 | 66 | 34.3 | .450 | .403 | .812 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.4 | .9 | 23.4 |
| 2020–21 | Boston | 64 | 64 | 35.8 | .459 | .386 | .868 | 7.4 | 4.3 | 1.2 | .5 | 26.4 |
| 2021–22 | Boston | 76 | 76 | 35.9 | .453 | .353 | .853 | 8.0 | 4.4 | 1.0 | .6 | 26.9 |
| 2022–23 | Boston | 74 | 74 | 36.9 | .466 | .350 | .854 | 8.8 | 4.6 | 1.1 | .7 | 30.1 |
2023–24 |
Boston | 74 | 74 | 35.7 | .471 | .376 | .833 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 1.0 | .6 | 26.9 |
| 2024–25 | Boston | 72 | 72 | 36.4 | .452 | .343 | .814 | 8.7 | 6.0 | 1.1 | .5 | 26.8 |
| Career | 585 | 585 | 34.5 | .459 | .370 | .840 | 7.4 | 3.8 | 1.1 | .7 | 23.6 | |
| All-Star | 6 | 5 | 21.5 | .618 | .408 | .500 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 1.7 | .5 | 21.8 | |
NBA Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Boston | 19 | 19 | 35.9 | .471 | .324 | .845 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 1.2 | .5 | 18.5 |
| 2019 | Boston | 9 | 9 | 32.8 | .438 | .323 | .744 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .8 | 15.2 |
| 2020 | Boston | 17 | 17 | 40.6 | .434 | .373 | .813 | 10.0 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 25.7 |
| 2021 | Boston | 5 | 5 | 37.0 | .423 | .389 | .918 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 30.6 |
| 2022 | Boston | 24 | 24 | 41.0 | .426 | .393 | .800 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 1.2 | .9 | 25.6 |
| 2023 | Boston | 20 | 20 | 40.0 | .458 | .323 | .876 | 10.5 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 27.2 |
| 2024 |
Boston | 19 | 19 | 40.4 | .427 | .283 | .861 | 9.7 | 6.3 | 1.1 | .7 | 25.0 |
| 2025 | Boston | 8 | 8 | 40.3 | .423 | .372 | .889 | 11.5 | 5.4 | 2.1 | .8 | 28.1 |
| Career | 121 | 121 | 39.0 | .439 | .348 | .841 | 8.2 | 4.9 | 1.2 | .9 | 24.3 | |
College Stats
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Duke | 29 | 27 | 33.3 | .452 | .342 | .849 | 7.3 | 2.1 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 16.8 |
Jayson Tatum's Achievements
Regular Season Highlights
- He is one of only three players to score 60+ points in a game without turning the ball over.
- He led the entire NBA in a stat called "plus-minus" in 2022, showing how valuable he was on the court.
- In 2023, he led the entire NBA in total points scored.
Playoff Highlights
- He holds the record for most points scored in a Game 7 of a playoff series with 51 points.
- He had the most assists in a Finals debut game with 13.
- He has scored the most playoff points by a player before turning 27 years old.
- He is one of only six players to lead a championship team in total points, rebounds, and assists during their playoff run.
- He is one of two players to lead both teams in a playoff series in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
- He has recorded two games with 50+ points in the playoffs.
- He scored the second most playoff points by a player in their rookie year.
- He holds the record for most points in a single play-in tournament game with 50.
About Jayson's Life
Jayson Tatum is the son of Justin Tatum and Brandy Cole-Barnes. His father used to be a professional basketball player. His mother raised him as a single mom and earned several college degrees.
Jayson has a son named Jayson Jr., who is often called "Deuce." Jayson lives in Newton, Massachusetts. In 2024, Jayson and singer-songwriter Ella Mai had their first child together.
Jayson's godfather is former NBA player Larry Hughes. He is also a cousin of former NBA player and current coach Tyronn Lue.
In high school, Jayson became friends with NHL player Matthew Tkachuk. Both Jayson and Matthew won their league championships in 2024 within a week of each other. Jayson is also friends with his former Duke teammate, Harry Giles.
Jayson is a Christian and believes his faith has helped him succeed. He has tattoos that show his Christian beliefs. Jayson also runs the Jayson Tatum Foundation. This foundation helps low-income families in his hometown of St. Louis build "generational wealth."
Endorsements and Partnerships
Jayson Tatum has worked with several companies. He has been a spokesperson for Imo's Pizza. In 2019, he signed with the Jordan Brand, which is part of Nike. In 2023, he got his own signature shoe called the Jordan Tatum 1. He also has deals with Subway and Gatorade.
In February 2024, Jayson partnered with the financial company SoFi. They work together to help people buy homes in St. Louis. SoFi donated $1 million to Jayson's foundation for this project. Jayson also talked about financial literacy on CBS News. He said growing up in a single-parent home made him care more about managing money. In July 2024, Jayson was chosen to be the cover athlete for the video game NBA 2K25.
More to Explore
- List of NBA career 3-point scoring leaders
- List of NBA career playoff 3-point scoring leaders
- List of NBA single-game scoring leaders
- List of NBA single-game playoff scoring leaders
See also
In Spanish: Jayson Tatum para niños
