The NBA is a league built off of nicknames, with every great player from Air Jordan to King James receiving a moniker.
One NBA star who has recently been given a nickname of his own is Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics franchise cornerstone and six-time All Star dubbed ‘The Anomaly’.
But what does Tatum’s new nickname mean, where did it come from, and is it as positive as it seems?
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Why is Jayson Tatum called ‘The Anomaly’?
Jayson Tatum has picked up a new nickname, with basketball fans on X, formerly Twitter, referring to the Boston Celtics forward as ‘The Anomaly’.
The name originated from a post by user @Mahcus_Smaht, a Celtics fan who suggested the nickname in reference to Tatum’s ability to play multiple positions with incredible versatility.
I think Tatum’s nickname should be The Anomaly.
Handles like someone 6 inches shorter, shoots pull-ups like a guard, finishes at the rim like a center, and consistently defends 1-5.
— Matt (@Mahcus_Smaht) January 8, 2025
While the name initially went viral in a tongue-in-cheek fashion with many making fun of the suggestion, it has since stuck, with official sites and even Basketball Reference’s nickname section acknowledging it.
The Anomaly this season:
— 26.8 PPG
— 8.8 RPG
— 5.7 APG
— 1.1 SPG
— Leading Celtics in PTS
— Leading Celtics in REB
— Leading Celtics in AST
— Leading Celtics in STL
— Leading Celtics in 3PTop __ in the MVP race. pic.twitter.com/m8lZSyd9Gf
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 24, 2025
The name has even inspired other NBA fan bases to concoct nicknames for their own stars, such as Cade Cunningham being labelled ‘The Paradox’.
This comes as Tatum recently voiced his issues about a perceived lack of his respect he believes he has suffered throughout his career.
“If you took the name and the face away from all my accomplishments and you’re just like, ‘This is what this Player A accomplished at 26,’ people would talk about [me] a lot differently,” Tatum told the Washington Post.
“I don’t really want to insert myself in things that can be debated. Did he win a championship? Yes. Did he win gold medals? Yes. Was he always a part of winning seasons? Was he first-team all-NBA? Those are things that you know are hard evidence. Yes or no. Face of the NBA? They can always debate. But it’s like, I check off all the boxes.”
The reigning champions, Tatum and the Celtics are currently 42-17 and looking to make their second-straight finals run.
