There is no denying that Jayson Tatum is among the very best athletes of the current generation. Some might argue that he is at the pole position when ranking new-age players. Recently, a Boston Celtics legend made a tall claim regarding the 25-year-old and his standing on the elite list of athletes.

There will be several people who will attest to Paul Pierce’s claims, however, there are also some naysayers. So, while the 46-year-old NBA veteran lives by his claim, let’s have a look at Tatum’s current stats to analyze whether the numbers back him up or not.

Paul Pierce’s claim on Jayson Tatum

For any great athlete, receiving praise from the veterans is one of the highest accomplishments. For Tatum, it is not new as he has been recognized by several veterans over the years and is also dubbed to be the future of the league. Besides that, being praised by a veteran who represented the same franchise for years, must be a great feeling. However, Pierce not only praises Tatum but will even go to war against anyone who tries to discredit the 4x All-Star. Recently, after making a massive claim on Tatum’s position in the world of basketball players, he received responses from some who disagreed as well.

Today, he posted on X “Tatum is the best American Basketball Player in the World.” While several fans rallied behind the Celtics legend backing his claim on the youngster, there were some who blatantly refuted his claims. One fan responded to Pierce’s post with “Pierce, I love you but no. He’s top 5 or 6 tho.” Seems like the 46-year-old is fully committed to his claim as he had a stinging response to the fan. He replied “Shut up Dummy”, showing that he is completely willing to back the 25-year-old star.

While all this is pretty heartfelt, it is important to see where Tatum stands in the new pool of athletes. How is he fairing in this new season, and can the Celtics rely on their star player for a championship-worthy season?

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Jayson Tatum’s 2023-24 season so far

The Celtics had a season full of trials in 2022-23. However, there were a few positive takeaways for them as they concluded their run in the Conference Finals. Although they couldn’t get their hands on the trophy, their star player made all the effort. Tatum was a front-runner in last season’s MVP race but was eventually edged out and settled for the fourth position. Similarly, in the current season, he has maintained the fourth spot till now, and going by the form he’s in, he might soon climb up the ladder. However, he will face tough competition from the likes of Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Luka Doncic.

In terms of his performances, he has been averaging 28.4 points per game along with 8.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He is also managing a 52.6% FG. While the numbers are surely impressive, does it make him eligible to be called the best in the world? The answer to this may be debatable, but one thing that everyone can agree on is that he can surely grow a lot from here. In the last game against the New York Knicks, Tatum dropped 35 points and registered his name for a unique record. He has now scored 30 points in 30.5% of his career games.

As for the franchise, the Celtics are currently in the second position after the Philadelphia 76ers with an 8-2 record.

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