The Boston Celtics closed out their first-round series against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, defeating them 120-89 in Game 5. Jayson Tatum had a monster performance as he finished with 35 points, eight rebounds, ten assists and one steal while shooting 10-16 from the field, 4-5 from three-point range and 11-11 from the free-throw line.
It marked his third consecutive performance with at least 35 points after he missed Game 2 with a wrist injury. While the Celtics are the defending NBA champions and could be poised to make another deep postseason run, Tatum has often been overlooked when it comes to discussions regarding the face of the league.
A former NBA player questioned why the Boston superstar has not received the same level of recognition as Anthony Edwards during an appearance on First Take.
“All I want to say is how many times Jayson Tatum has been to the Eastern Conference Finals, how many Jayson Tatum has been to the NBA Finals,” ESPN’s Jay Williams claimed Thursday. “Brother could win multiple championships and we’re just going to give it to Ant? Because he has a personality? And he has to come out of the West?”
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Tatum has hardly found his name in discussions regarding the face of the league. The Celtics star faced questions about whether he is the player on his team or not after Jaylen Brown was named the NBA Finals MVP last season.
While Tatum looks poised to earn his fourth consecutive first-team All-NBA selection, he has yet to finish in the top three in MVP voting. If he is able to continue winning titles, however, he will likely force the basketball world’s hands when it comes to putting him in the face of the league discussions.
The six-time All-Star had yet another strong season in 2024-25. He averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field, 34.3% from three-point range and 81.4% from the free-throw line.
More NBA: LeBron James’ former teammate calls out Lakers’ susperstar for his lackluster defense
