The summer of [autotag]Jayson Tatum[/autotag] continued on Thursday with the latest feather in the former Blue Devil’s cap.
After he won his first NBA championship with the Boston Celtics, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games for the franchise’s first title since 2008, Sports Illustrated revealed on Thursday that Tatum made their most recent cover.
The honor holds a little extra weight with the edition serving as Sports Illustrated’s 70th Anniversary Issue. It commemorates the Celtics’ 2023-24 season in which Boston won 64 regular-season games and blew through the postseason with a 16-3 record, one of the most accomplished seasons of all time.
Somehow, the historic sports magazine may not be the most popular Tatum cover this summer. He’ll also serve as the face of NBA 2k25, becoming the third former Blue Devil on the cover of an NBA 2k game.
Tatum will now head to Paris with the United States Olympic Team in search of his second gold medal, yet another honor that could distinguish him as the most accomplished Duke basketball player of all time.
Cheers to the winningest team in NBA history 🥂
Celtics champion Jayson Tatum raises a glass on the cover of the Sports Illustrated 70th anniversary issue https://t.co/X5gRf4u36k
📸: Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated pic.twitter.com/vTWMmIah4Z
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 25, 2024
Tatum led the Celtics in points, rebounds, and assists over the course of their playoff run, the sixth player in NBA history to achieve that trifecta on a title team. He also broke Kobe Bryant’s record for the most playoff points before his 27th birthday.