9781422271537

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Devin Booker Jayson Tatum Joel Embiid Luka Dončić Anthony Davis James Harden Kawhi Leonard

LeBron James Stephen Curry Chris Paul Giannis Antetokounmpo Kevin Durant Paul George Russell Westbrook

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Jeremy Pike

MASON CREST MIAMI

Mason Crest PO Box 221876 Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2024 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4662-7

ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4843-0 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7153-7 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Pike, Jeremy (Sportswriter), author. Title: Jayson Tatum / Jeremy Pike. Description: Miami, FL : Mason Crest, [2024] | Series: Hardwood greats : Pro basketball’s best players | Includes QR codes and links to third-party content. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2023018392 | ISBN 9781422246627 (hardback) | ISBN 9781422248430 (series) | ISBN 9781422271537 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Tatum, Jayson, 1998---Juvenile literature. | African American basketball players--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. | Basketball players--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. | Boston Celtics (Basketball team)--Juvenile literature. Classification: LCC GV884.T375 P54 2024 | DDC 796.323092 [B]--dc23/eng/20230602

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023018392 Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Andrew Luke Production: Crafted Content, LLC (www.craftedcontentllc.com)

QR CODES AND LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY CONTENT You may gain access to certain third-party content (“Third-Party Sites”) by scanning and using the QR Codes that appear in this publication (the “QR Codes”). We do not operate or control in any respect any information, products, or services on such Third-Party Sites linked to by us via the QR Codes included in this publication, and we assume no responsibility for any materials you may access using the QR Codes. Your use of the QR Codes may be subject to terms, limitations, or restrictions set forth in the applicable terms of use or otherwise established by the owners of the Third-Party Sites. Our linking to such Third-Party Sites via the QR Codes does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of such Third-Party Sites or the information, products, or services offered on or through the Third-Party Sites, nor does it imply an endorsement or sponsorship of this publication by the owners of such Third-Party Sites.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Greatest Moments . . . 7 Chapter 2: The Road to the Top . 23 Chapter 3: On the Court . . . . . . . 37 Chapter 4: Words Count . . . . . . 51 Chapter 5: Off the Court . . . . . . . 63

Series Glossary of Key Terms . . 74 Further Reading & Internet Resources . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Author Biography & Credits . . . 80

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

Words to understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Text-dependent questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series glossary of key terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

decisive: having the power or quality to make a final choice or judgment entrenched: to establish solidly hallowed: greatly revered and honored

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Chapter 1

Greatest Moments Missouri Prodigy Jayson Tatum took the National Basketball Association (NBA) by storm when the Boston Celtics took him third overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. However, his journey began well before 2017 as the son of a single mother in St. Louis, Missouri. He learned hard work from his mother, who raised him while attending law school, and it showed on the court. At the 2016 McDonald’s All-American high school game, Tatum had 18 points and went eight for eight at the free throw line. At the Jordan Classic, he scored 18 points on six of 14 shooting and was still perfect at the charity stripe on six attempts. That came on the heels of Tatum’s third straight year of winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award for Missouri boys’ basketball. In his senior season, Tatum averaged 29 points per game and shot 61 percent from inside the arc. He also averaged nine rebounds a game and shot 86 percent from the charity stripe. 7

Tatum makes about 85 percent of his free throws, ranking in the Top 75 in NBA history.

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Tatum also represented the United States in international competition, winning a gold medal at the Under-19 World Cup in 2015, the Under-17 World Cup in 2014, and the Under-16 World Cup in 2013. After Tatum wrapped up his high school career, he was rated second in the country for his college recruiting class. So, he joined the Duke University Blue Devils under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski. Playing only one season there, he averaged 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while playing 33.3 minutes a game. That one year of college experience led to Tatum declaring for the 2017 NBA Draft, where he was selected third overall by the Boston Celtics. As a rookie, he averaged 13.9 points per game with five rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. That earned him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie team. Since Tatum’s rookie season, he has proven to be one of the best and brightest young players in the entire league. Not only that, but he has already entrenched himself in the record books of one of the greatest franchises in NBA history. He is either spoken of as being at or beyond the level of some of the greats who have worn the hallowed Celtics jersey. When a player is getting the buzz previously seen for others who became Hall of Famers, it is a telling sign, especially for someone who turned just 25 during the 2022-23 season.

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

Tatum’s Greatest Career Moments

Here are some of the incredible highlights of Tatum’s impressive young career

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments

1

Career-High 60 Points When the Celtics hosted the San Antonio Spurs on April 30, 2021, Tatum exploded on the court. He finished the night with 60 points, tying Boston’s record for most points in a single game, set by franchise icon Larry Bird. Tatum went five for seven from beyond the three-point line and also made all but two of his 17 free throws. That is an incredible feat, and the Celtics needed it in the game. They struggled as a team early, falling behind the Spurs by as much as 32 points with 3:46 left in the second quarter. What could have been a blowout was turned around by Tatum’s 60-point outburst, resulting in a stunning 143-140 comeback overtime win for Boston. Twenty-one of his 60 points came in the fourth quarter, and another 10 came in overtime. That 10 included two free throws with four seconds left to seal the win.

Tatum’s career-high 60 points ties the Celtics’ single-game record.

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2

All-Star MVP By the time the 2022-23 NBA season rolled around, Tatum had already played in three All-Star Games, and it was no surprise that he was selected as an All-Star for a fourth consecutive season. The 2023 game took place in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Tatum took complete ownership of the game from the start. Playing for Team Giannis, Tatum logged 35 minutes to lead all players and, along the way, ended up leading in every offensive category as well. He shot an improbable 71 percent from the field, making 22 of 31 shots, including 10 of 18 from three-point range. He also added a free throw to total 55 points, an All-Star Game record. He also chipped in a team-leading 10 rebounds in the 184-175 win over Team LeBron, making Tatum the easy choice to claim his first All-Star Game MVP award.

Watch highlights of Tatum’s record-setting performance at the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.

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3

Young Sharpshooter Tatum turned 24 during the 2021-22 NBA season, a fact that hammers home that he is one of the league’s young superstars. When he tipped off against the Grizzlies on his birthday, March 3, 2022, Tatum set a record tied to his age. That day, Tatum became the player with the most made three-point shots in a career before his 24th birthday, with 764. In his first six NBA seasons, Tatum has hit three-point shots at about a 37 percent clip, which is much improved compared to .342 in his only season of college basketball at Duke. He pointed to daily shooting work with his trainer, Drew Hanlen, prior to the draft as the reason for his three-point shot improving. He said he took 250 three-point shots daily under his trainer’s supervision. The hard work and training have certainly paid off in Tatum’s young career so far. In Tatum’s final game before he turned 24, he put up 33 points, including three three-pointers, in a 107-98 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

In Tatum’s final game as a 23-year-old, he adds three more three-pointers to his record-setting total.

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4

2022 Eastern Conference Final MVP The Celtics made it to the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals (ECF) against the Miami Heat. The series went the distance, taking seven games to decide who would head to the NBA Finals. Tatum did it all, averaging 25 points a game on .462 shooting and hitting 18 three-pointers on .353 shooting from beyond the arc. In the deciding seventh game, Tatum led the Celtics with 26 points while grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists. He shot 57 percent from three-point range in the game. He also had one steal and two blocks defensively. He scored a team-high 26 points in the decisive Game Seven. This marked Tatum’s third appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals with the Celtics, but the first time he and his team advanced to the NBA Finals. For his performance, he won a new postseason award, the Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player. Perhaps most fittingly, the award, the Larry Bird Trophy, is named for a Celtics legend.

Tatum scores 26 to lead Celtics to victory over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

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5

First Team All-NBA Tatum and the Celtics were not able to win it all in 2022, losing in the Finals in six games to Golden State. However, the loss of that series was the only blemish on a terrific season for Tatum. His individual per game stat line was 26.9 points, eight rebounds, and 4.4 assists. Tatum was named to his third consecutive All-Star team in 2022, despite a pedestrian 18-21 start for the Celtics. Tatum led a second-half resurgence, however, as the Celtics were the best team in the East after the All-Star break, culminating in a Finals appearance. Tatum was the first Celtic ever to be named Conference Player of the Week in consecutive weeks. He finished the season ranked fifth in the conference in scoring and was named as a First Team All-NBA member for the first time. He joined Denver center Nikola Jokic, Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas guard Luka Dončić, and Phoenix guard Devin Booker on the first team. Tatum had previously been named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2020.

Tatum used his patented fadeaway jumper to devastating effect on his way to being named to the All-NBA First Team.

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