History of Jayson Tatum in Timeline

Jayson Tatum is a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics. He was a McDonald's All-American in high school before playing college basketball at Duke University. Drafted third overall by the Celtics in 2017, Tatum earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in 2018. In 2022, he won the inaugural NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Tatum secured his first NBA Championship with the Celtics in 2024.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1980: Larry Bird's playoff game

In 1980, Larry Bird was the last Celtics rookie to score 25 or more points in a playoff game before Jayson Tatum.

1986: Larry Bird and Kevin McHale's record

In the 1986-87 NBA season, Larry Bird and Kevin McHale recorded four games where they each scored at least 30 points, a record that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would later tie.

November 1989: Bird's 50+ point and 10+ rebound game

In November 1989, Larry Bird was the last Celtics player to score 50+ points and grab 10+ rebounds before Jayson Tatum replicated the feat.

March 3, 1998: Jayson Tatum Born

On March 3, 1998, Jayson Christopher Tatum Sr. was born. He is now a professional basketball player in the NBA.

Others born on this day/year

1999: Kobe Bryant's scoring streak

In 1999, Kobe Bryant was the youngest player to score at least 20 points in four straight playoff games before Jayson Tatum.

2002: Paul Pierce's record

In January 2023, Jayson Tatum matched a record held by Paul Pierce in 2002 for points, rebounds, and assists in a game.

2007: Top seed and home-court advantage

The Celtics finished the regular season with the NBA's top seed and home-court advantage throughout the postseason for the first time since the 2007-08 season in 2024.

2010: Celtics last NBA Finals appearance

In 2010, the Celtics last appeared in the NBA Finals before Jayson Tatum led them back in 2022.

2013: MCC Co-Player of the Year

In 2013, as a freshman, Jayson Tatum averaged 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and was named 2013 Metro Catholic Conference (MCC) Co-Player of the Year. He also led the Red Devils to both MCC and Missouri District 2 crowns.

2014: Played in the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship

In 2014, Tatum played in the FIBA Under-17 World Championship, marking his participation in international basketball competitions.

2014: Sophomore Season Stats

In 2014, as a sophomore, Jayson Tatum averaged 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.

2015: Senior Year Stats

In 2015, As a senior, Tatum averaged 29.6 points and 9.1 rebounds.

2015: Played in the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship

In 2015, Tatum played in the FIBA Under-19 World Championship and made the Eurobasket.com All-World Championship U19 Second Team, further establishing his presence in international basketball.

2015: AAU and Nike Peach Jam Performance

In 2015, as a junior, Jayson Tatum averaged 25.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game and earned Second-team Naismith Trophy All-American honors. In the summer of 2015, he joined the St. Louis Eagles AAU team, advancing to the Nike Peach Jam championship game where he scored 24 points. During the Circuit, Tatum led the EYBL in scoring with 26.5 points to go along with 9.5 rebounds per game.

March 30, 2016: McDonald's All-American Game

On March 30, 2016, Jayson Tatum was selected to the 2016 McDonald's All-American Game, leading the East Team in scoring with 18 points.

December 3, 2016: Duke Debut

On December 3, 2016, Jayson Tatum made his Duke debut, recording 10 points in a victory over Maine.

2016: Missouri Class 5A State Championship

During the 2015-2016 season, as a senior, Jayson Tatum led Chaminade to its second Missouri Class 5A state championship.

2016: Jaylen Brown drafted by the Celtics

In 2016, Jaylen Brown was drafted by the Celtics. The following year, Jayson Tatum was drafted and formed a duo with Jaylen Brown.

2016: Participated in the Nike Hoop Summit

In 2016, Jayson Tatum represented Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit, where he played for 16 minutes, recording 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block.

2016: All-ACC Tournament Team Selection

In 2016, Jayson 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.

2016: High School Recruiting Rank

In 2016, Jayson Tatum was rated a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit in the high school class.

January 4, 2017: Game Against Georgia Tech

On January 4, 2017, Jayson Tatum scored 19 points in a blowout victory over Georgia Tech.

October 17, 2017: NBA Debut

On October 17, 2017, Jayson Tatum made his NBA debut, recording a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

December 2017: Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month

In December 2017, Jayson Tatum was named the Eastern Conference's Rookie of the Month.

2017: Enters the NBA Draft

In 2017, At the end of his freshman season, Jayson Tatum opted to enter the 2017 NBA draft as a one-and-done player, where he was projected as a first-round selection.

2017: Became spokesperson for Imo's Pizza

In 2017, Jayson Tatum became a spokesperson for Imo's Pizza.

2017: Selected by the Boston Celtics

In 2017, Jayson Tatum was selected by the Boston Celtics as the third overall pick in the NBA draft.

2017: Birth of his son, Jayson Jr.

In 2017, Jayson Tatum's son, Jayson Jr., nicknamed "Deuce," was born.

April 15, 2018: Double-Double in Playoff Game 1

On April 15, 2018, in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Jayson Tatum recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

May 22, 2018: NBA All-Rookie First Team Selection

On May 22, 2018, Jayson Tatum was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team (First Team).

October 16, 2018: Season-Opening Victory Over 76ers

On October 16, 2018, during the season-opening victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, Jayson Tatum recorded 23 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.

2018: NBA All-Rookie First Team

In the 2018 season, Jayson Tatum was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

February 5, 2019: Victory Over Cavaliers

On February 5, 2019, Jayson Tatum recorded 25 points and seven rebounds in a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

June 21, 2019: Signed with the Jordan Brand

On June 21, 2019, Jayson Tatum signed with the Jordan Brand.

December 22, 2019: Career-High Points Against Hornets

On December 22, 2019, Jayson Tatum recorded a then career-high 39 points, along with 12 rebounds, in a victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

2019: Purchased a mansion in Newton, Massachusetts

In 2019, Jayson Tatum purchased a mansion in Newton, Massachusetts, establishing his residence there.

January 11, 2020: Career-High 41 Points Against Pelicans

On January 11, 2020, Jayson Tatum exceeded his previous career high with 41 points against the New Orleans Pelicans.

November 22, 2020: Rookie Maximum Extension

On November 22, 2020, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics agreed to a rookie maximum extension of five years, worth $163 million.

December 23, 2020: Game-Winning Shot Against Bucks

On December 23, 2020, Jayson Tatum totaled 30 points and seven rebounds, alongside a game-winning three-pointer in a narrow victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

2020: Tatum and LaVine's 50+ point games

During the 2020-21 NBA season, Jayson Tatum and Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls became the second pair of players to score 50+ points on the same day.

2020: Named to the 2020 Olympic team

In 2020, Jayson Tatum was selected to the Olympic team; however, the games were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2020, Jayson Tatum won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team.

2020: Eastern Conference Finals Appearance

In the 2020 NBA playoffs, the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in Jayson Tatum's NBA career, but were eliminated by the Miami Heat.

January 3, 2021: Game-Winning Shot and Career-High Assists

On January 3, 2021, Jayson Tatum had 24 points and a career-high 12 assists and made another game-winning shot in a narrow victory over the Detroit Pistons.

October 25, 2021: 41 points in overtime victory

On October 25, 2021, Jayson Tatum scored 41 points, along with seven rebounds and eight assists, in a 140-129 overtime victory against the Charlotte Hornets, securing the Celtics' first win of the season.

2021: Won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics

In 2021, Jayson Tatum helped Team USA secure the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, contributing an average of 15.2 points per game and being the second-highest scorer on the team behind Kevin Durant.

2021: 50 points in play-in tournament

On May 18, 2021, Jayson Tatum scored 50 points in the play-in tournament game against the Washington Wizards, leading the Celtics to a 118-100 victory and securing the #7-seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2021 NBA playoffs. He set the record for most points in a single play-in tournament game.

January 23, 2022: Season-high 51 points

On January 23, 2022, Jayson Tatum scored a then season-high 51 points, along with 10 rebounds, seven assists, and a career-high nine three-pointers, in a 116-87 victory over the Washington Wizards.

November 30, 2022: 49 points and youngest to 900 three-pointers

On November 30, 2022, Jayson Tatum scored 49 points and secured 11 rebounds while making eight three-pointers in a 134-121 victory over the Miami Heat. At 24 years old, Tatum became the youngest player in NBA history to make 900 three-pointers.

2022: NBA Eastern Conference Finals MVP

In 2022, Jayson Tatum won the inaugural NBA Eastern Conference finals MVP award.

2022: NBA Finals Rematch

In January 2023, Jayson Tatum played against the Golden State Warriors, in a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals.

January 5, 2023: Second career triple-double

On January 5, 2023, Jayson Tatum recorded his second career triple-double with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 124-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

November 4, 2023: Youngest Celtic to reach 10,000 points

On November 4, 2023, Jayson Tatum became the youngest Celtic to reach 10,000 career points at 25 years and 246 days of age after recording 32 points and 11 rebounds in a 124-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

2023: Received his own signature shoe: Jordan Tatum 1

In 2023, Jayson Tatum received his own signature silhouette with the Jordan Brand, named the Jordan Tatum 1.

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January 25, 2024: All-Star Game selection

On January 25, 2024, Jayson Tatum was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, marking his fifth consecutive selection and second as a starter.

February 13, 2024: 41 points against the Nets

On February 13, 2024, Jayson Tatum scored 41 points, with 31 in the first half, along with 14 rebounds, five assists, and five three-pointers in a 118-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. He also joined Larry Bird as the only Celtics to record at least 25 40-point games.

February 2024: Partnered with SoFi for homeownership initiative

In February 2024, Jayson Tatum collaborated with SoFi to support homeownership in St. Louis, with SoFi donating $1 million to the Jayson Tatum Foundation for the initiative; he also appeared on CBS News to discuss financial literacy.

July 1, 2024: Richest NBA contract

On July 1, 2024, Jayson Tatum signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $314 million, surpassing Jaylen Brown's $304 million extension as the richest deal in NBA history.

July 2024: Named cover athlete for NBA 2K25

In July 2024, Jayson Tatum was announced as the cover athlete for the video game NBA 2K25.

November 16, 2024: Game-winning performance against the Toronto Raptors

On November 16, 2024, Jayson Tatum recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, including a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer in a 126–123 overtime victory against the Toronto Raptors.

2024: Won NBA Finals and Tkachuk won Stanley Cup Final

In 2024, Jayson Tatum and his high school friend Matthew Tkachuk both achieved championship success, with Tatum winning the NBA Finals and Tkachuk winning the Stanley Cup Final within a week of each other.

2024: Had first child with Ella Mai

In 2024, Jayson Tatum and singer-songwriter Ella Mai welcomed their first child together.

2024: NBA Champion and League Leader

In 2024, Jayson Tatum led his team to a league-best 64 wins and a championship in the NBA Finals.

2024: Named to the 2024 Olympic team

In 2024, Jayson Tatum was selected for the Olympic team again. Team USA would go on to win the gold medal in a rematch against France; he had little impact on the games, averaging 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. His role and lack of playing time raised eyebrows given the fact that he was coming off a championship run with the Celtics.

2024: NBA Champion

In 2024, Jayson Tatum won his first NBA title with the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

2024: First Playoff Triple-Double

In the 2024 playoffs, on April 21, Jayson Tatum achieved his first career playoff triple-double, recording 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 114–94 victory over the Miami Heat. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 21 against the Indiana Pacers, Tatum scored 36 points, including 10 in overtime, along with 12 rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a 133–128 victory. The Celtics won the series and advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals.

January 25, 2025: Named Eastern Conference All-Star starter

On January 25, 2025, Jayson Tatum was selected as an Eastern Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, marking his sixth consecutive selection and his third consecutive start.

October 2025: Named Chief Basketball Officer for Duke Blue Devils

In October 2025, Jayson Tatum was appointed as the Chief Basketball Officer for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team, where he will serve as a special advisor to Jon Scheyer and the Duke University program.

March 6, 2026: Season debut after Achilles rupture

On March 6, 2026, Jayson Tatum made his 2025–26 season debut against the Dallas Mavericks after recovering from an Achilles rupture, recording 15 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in a 120–100 win.