Jayson Tatum is overjoyed to have met Larry Bird, the “ultimate Celtic.”
As the face of the team, Jayson Tatum is still rising up the all-time Celtics rankings, yet in his whole NBA career, he has never met one of the team’s legends. Tatum hadn’t even been in the same room as C’s legend Larry Bird since Bird is a private man these days, having retired from basketball.
Everything changed on Sunday at the Indianapolis All-Star game. Despite spending his whole playing career with the Celtics, Bird has strong links to Indiana because he attended Indiana State for his college ball and then played a number of roles for the Pacers in his post-playing career. Tatum had the ideal opportunity to connect with Bird, even if the 25-year-old acknowledged beforehand that he was “anxious” to meet Bird.
Tatum remarked, “I had the opportunity to go meet him and tell him how much of an honor it was to meet him.” “He expressed his excitement about meeting me. Hearing him say that was absurd. He’s much taller than I had imagined. What he means to the Celtics, the people of Boston, and the game is evident. It was a privilege to meet him because he is the quintessential Celtic.
Given Tatum’s burgeoning prominence in the NBA and not just in Boston, it is hardly unexpected that Bird wanted to see him. Tatum, who has been an All-Star for the past five seasons, has emerged as one of the league’s brightest young talents. After winning MVP of the All-Star game the previous season, he scored 20 points on Sunday to help the East defeat the West.
Even though the festivities surrounding All-Star weekend are usually enjoyable, Tatum was able to bring home a little bit extra as a result of his encounter with Bird. Since the 67-year-old hasn’t spent much time in the spotlight lately, it’s always a delight to see the Celtics icon at NBA events.
Tatum is undoubtedly attempting to leave his own mark in Boston. Although he turns 26 next month, he is already in his sixth season in the league and has already done a great deal. Thus, in his pursuit of the same heights that Bird offered the city, he is fast becoming a veteran.
First on the list is capturing the elusive NBA title, to which Tatum and the C’s have been incredibly close but haven’t yet been able to ascend to the top. The C’s main priority after the All-Star break will be that.
“It was really quick to meet Larry,” Tatum remarked. He said he was excited to finally meet me after I told him it was an honor to meet him.
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