In what’s become a breakout season for Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, the St. Louis native has racked up the praise from the league’s legends, including Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James — who called Tatum an “absolute problem” after the soon-to-be 22-year-old scored 41 points against the Lakers on Sunday.
The most recent NBA icon to praise Tatum, Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony, faced off against the Celtics on Tuesday in what was a victory for the guys in green.
Swapping jerseys after Boston downed Portland, Melo would tell reporters “I love his game, I love watching him play. I was able to have some 1-on-1 time with him, get a chance to know him better as a person first, but his game speaks for itself, and he continues to blossom” (per Boston.com’s Jenna Ciccotelli).
Tatum, who claims Anthony as one of his three favorite players, would say that he “studied him so much growing up.”
Jayson Tatum on swapping jerseys with Carmelo Anthony tonight: “Oh man. Besides Kobe, Melo’s probably one of my top three favorite players. I studied him so much growing up. I’m one of his biggest fans.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) February 26, 2020
Though Tatum has all but erased the midrange from his shot-selection, an area of the floor where Anthony has scored plenty of buckets over his storied career, there is an uncanny resemblance to the games of the two forwards.
The footwork in the post. The scoring mentality. The rebounding (albeit without Melo’s customary shouts).
With the possibility that Anthony may not play another season in the league, a potential scenario that could mirror what’s happening with guard Jamal Crawford, it made sense for Tatum to swap jerseys with one of his favorite players while he could. It’s an honor for both players, with Anthony counting his blessings for having a player of Tatum’s caliber counting him among his favorite players of all-time.
If his evolution continues at this pace, Tatum may even find himself swapping jerseys with a player that looked up to him growing up.
A player who’s quickly become the face of the franchise, the sky is only the limit for Boston’s favorite son.