Jayson Christopher Tatum (born March 3, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Tatum attended hometown Chaminade College Preparatory School, where he was rated a five-star recruit and regarded as one of the top players in the Class of 2016 by recruiting services. After one season with Duke, he entered the 2017 NBA draft, and was selected with the third overall pick by the Boston Celtics. He won the 2019 Skills Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend.^[1]

Tatum attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in Creve Coeur, Missouri.^[2][3] As a freshman, he averaged 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and was named 2013 Metro Catholic Conference Co-Player of the year, leading the Red Devils to both (MCC) and Missouri District 2 crowns. As a sophomore in 2014, he averaged 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.

As a junior, Tatum averaged 25.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, while earning Second-team Naismith Trophy All-American honors. In summer 2015, Tatum joined the St. Louis Eagles Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team on the highly competitive Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) Circuit. On July 11, the Eagles defeated future Duke teammate Harry Giles and Team CP3 74–73 in the Nike Peach Jam Semi-Finals with a game-winning buzzer-beater to advance to the championship game, where Tatum finished the game with 28 points and 5 rebounds.^[4] On July 12, Tatum tallied 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a 104–77 loss to the Georgia Stars and future Duke one-and-done Wendell Carter in the 2015 Nike Peach Jam championship game. During the Circuit, Tatum led the EYBL in scoring with 26.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Prior to his senior year, Tatum made a verbal commitment to Duke University over North Carolina, Kentucky & his father's alma mater, hometown Saint Louis University.^[5] Among his senior-year highlights were a 40-point, 17-rebound game in a 76–57 win over Bentonville High School and its star Malik Monk,^[6] a 46-point game against Huntington Prep and Miles Bridges at the Cancer Research Classic,^[7] and a final 40-point game against DeMatha Catholic High School and future #1 NBA draft pick Markelle Fultz at the 2016 HoopHall Classic.^[8]

As a senior in 2015–16 Tatum averaged 29.6 points and 9.1 rebounds and posted six 40-point games while leading Chaminade to its second Missouri Class 5A state championship.^[9] Tatum was selected to the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game in January 2016, where he won the Skills competition, and in the all-star game on March 30, 2016, at the United Center in Chicago, leading the East Team in scoring with 18 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in a 114–107 loss.^[10] In April, Tatum also played in the Jordan Brand Classic, where he scored 18 points in a 131-117 win against the West team.^[11] Tatum was named the 2016 Gatorade National Player of the Year.^[12]

Tatum was rated as a five-star recruit and considered one of the best prospects in the 2016 class. He was ranked as the No.3 overall recruit behind Harry Giles & Josh Jackson and No.2 small forward in the 2016 high school class.^[13]

Before the start of 2016-17, Tatum missed 8 games due to a foot injury. ^[14][15][16] On December 3, 2016 in his Duke debut, Tatum recorded 10 points in a 94-55 win over Maine.^[17] On December 6, 2016, Tatum tallied 22 points & 8 rebounds in a 84-74 victory over Florida at the Jimmy V Classic.^[18] On December 21, 2016, Tatum scored 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a 72-61 win over Elon.^[19] On January 4, 2017, Tatum scored 19 points in a 110–57 victory over Georgia Tech.^[20] On January 7, he recorded 22 points and 6 rebounds in a 93-82 victory over Boston College.^[21] On January 21, Tatum scored 14 in a 70–58 win over Miami.^[22] On February 15, he scored a season-high 28 points and had 8 rebounds in a 65-55 victory against Virginia.^[23] As the fifth seed in the ACC Tournament, Duke defeated Clemson in the second round and Louisville in the quarterfinals. On March 10, Tatum scored 24 points in a win over rival North Carolina in the semifinals.^[24] On March 11, Tatum tallied 19 points and 8 rebounds in a 75–69 victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, earning the Blue Devils the ACC Tournament Championship.^[25]

Tatum was named to the All-ACC Tournament team, after averaging 22.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game for the Blue Devils. As the #2 seed entering the NCAA Tournament, Duke defeated Troy University in the first round, but exited early in a second-round loss against South Carolina.^[26] Tatum averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the tournament. In his freshman season for Duke in 2016–17, Tatum played 29 games and averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assist, and 1.3 steals per game, and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team & a third team All-ACC selection.^[27] Tatum had a successful freshman season at Duke, ranking fourth in made free throws (118), rebounds (fifth), and free throw percentage (849.).

At the conclusion of his freshman season Tatum opted to go directly into the 2017 NBA Draft as a one-and-done, where he was projected as a first-round selection.^[28]

In a controversial move, Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge dealt away the team's #1 pick in the 2017 NBA draft to the Philadelphia 76ers in hopes that he could acquire another valuable draft pick and still target the player he actually wanted, Tatum. Not ranked as high as other prospects underrated on draft boards, Tatum was still on the board as the Celtics drafted him #3 overall on June 22, 2017, with the pick they received from Philadelphia. Tatum was the team's second straight #3 pick for a small forward, following Jaylen Brown in 2016.^[29] During the 2017 NBA Summer League event in Utah, he displayed his abilities to effect, averaging 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 2.0 assists in nearly 33 minutes of action. Later, in Las Vegas, Tatum produced similar results, averaging 17.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.8 blocks in nearly 32 minutes of action in the three games he was allowed to play. As a result, he was named to the All-Summer League Second Team alongside Bryn Forbes, Cheick Diallo, Wayne Selden Jr., and Kyle Kuzma.^[30]

In his NBA debut, Tatum recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds as the team's starting power forward in a 102–99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.^[31] Tatum then recorded a season-high 24 points in a win over the New York Knicks on October 24, 2017.^[32] He was named the Eastern Conference's Rookie of The Month for December 2017.^[33]

The Celtics finished the season with a record of 55–27, entering the 2018 NBA Playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. In Game 1 of the first-round series against the seventh seed Milwaukee Bucks, Tatum recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.^[34] In Game 4 he broke his playoff-high with 21 points, and then broke it again in Game 6 with 22.^[35] The Celtics defeated the Bucks in Game 7 by a score of 112-96, with Tatum scoring 20 points.^[36]

In Game 1 of the second-round series against the third-seed Philadelphia 76ers, Tatum had a career-high 28 points in a 117–101 win,^[37] becoming the first Celtics rookie to score 25 or more points in a playoff game since Larry Bird during the 1980 NBA Playoffs, also against the 76ers.^[38] After posting 21 points in a Game 2 victory, he became the youngest player ever to score at least 20 points in four straight playoff games at the age of 20 years, 61 days, surpassing Kobe Bryant who accomplished that feat during the 1999 NBA Playoffs at the age of 20 years, 272 days.^[39] After leading the Celtics with 24 points in a Game 3 overtime win in Philadelphia,^[40] he became the first Celtics rookie to score 20 points in five straight playoff games. Bird held the previous record of four.^[41] At the end of his playoff run, he joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only rookies in playoff history to record 10 games of 20 or more points scored during their first playoff runs. Furthermore, LeBron James would praise Tatum's work there, stating 'He's built for stardom''.^[42]

On May 22, 2018, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.^[43]

In the Celtic's 2018–19 season opener, Tatum scored 23 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assist in a 105-87 win against the Philadelphia 76ers.^[44] On October 20, he scored 24 points and 14 rebounds in a 103-101 victory over the New York Knicks.^[45] On October 25, Tatum scored 24 points and 6 rebounds in a 101-95 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.^[46] On November 16, Tatum recorded 21 points and 7 rebounds in a 123-116 overtime win against the Toronto Raptors.^[47] On December 25, he scored 23 points and 10 rebounds in a 121-114 overtime win against the Philadelphia 76ers.^[48] On February 5, Tatum tallied 25 points and 7 rebounds in a 103-96 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers.^[49] On March 6, Tatum scored 24 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assist in a 126-120 win against the Sacramento Kings.^[50]

Tatum played in the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship^[51] and 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship,^[52] making the Eurobasket.com All-World Championship U19 Second Team.^[53]

Representing Team USA at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit, Tatum saw 16 minutes, 57 seconds of action, scoring 14 points, pulling down four rebounds, and also had two assists, two steals and one block.^[54]

Tatum is the son of Justin Tatum and Brandy Cole. Justin Tatum played basketball at Saint Louis University and is a gym teacher and basketball coach at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, from which he graduated in 1997.^[55] He was previously the coach and athletics director at Soldan International Studies High School for six years. Jayson was born when his parents were both 19-year-old undergraduates. His mother, Brandy, graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law and is now a practicing attorney in the St. Louis area.^[56] Tatum is the godson of retired NBA player Larry Hughes, who was his father's high school and college teammate.^[3] He is also a cousin of former NBA player and head coach Tyronn Lue.^[57] As of 2017, Tatum is a spokesperson for Imo's Pizza.^[58] Tatum is also a Christian, crediting Jesus for his success and career.^[59]

While in high school at Chaminade College Preparatory School, Tatum was good friends with NHL forward Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames, as the two were placed in the same gym class. Tatum is also good friends with former Duke teammate and current NBA player Harry Giles.^[60]

On June 21, 2019, Tatum signed with the Jordan Brand.^[61]