Boston legend Paul Pierce hails Jayson Tatum as the ‘best American basketball player in the world’

After Jayson Tatum led the Celtics in Monday’s 114-98 win against the Knicks, Paul Pierce hailed him as the best of the best. Of course the Hall of Famer’s comments might be a bit biased, considering he’s a Boston legend, but it’s definitely hard to disagree with him.

The forward not only produced a season-high 35 points, but also added 6 rebounds and 7 assists to his stat line. The 25-year-old was clutch in the fourth quarter, dropping 17 points with a 6-for-8 from the field and 4-for-5 from range.

His recent display inspired Pierce to tell all his followers on X what Jayson has become. “Tatum is the best American Basketball Player in the World,” he posted.

Paul Pierce says Jayson Tatum is the best “American” basketball player in the world.

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/1JdS0YwfeD

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 14, 2023

While many comments agree with him, saying stuff like “Ain’t that the Truth,” or “The Truth speaking the truth.” Some others disagreed, not only suggesting he’s still young and must keep developing his potential, but still believe superstars like Stephen Curry or LeBron James are better.

“Love Tatum, but he faced Steph in the finals & what happened? Steph 4-time champion & 2-time MVP. “This is complete lies, almost as bad as when you claimed you was better than D Wade! Still love the Truth but Tatum ain’t there yet! He’s got 3 guys averaging 20, Steph has himself & 0,” one account wrote on X.

Despite having a great game against Knicks, the young superstar disagreed on a technical foul he received at the end of the match.

“I shouldn’t have got the tech,” Tatum said after the game. “I mean, it’s tough. It’s an emotional game, right? The fans can see it, everybody watching can see it. It’s hard to play the game without emotions. I understand there’s a fine line and balance, but fourth quarter, we playing defense, and I screamed nothing crazy.”

Tatum is willing to ‘find the balance’ and sacrifice his individual scoring for Boston’s success

The 25-year-old is currently averaging 28.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists over 36.2 minutes per contest, as the Celtics are holding the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Not bad, right? Well, the truth is the forward’s stats could be even higher, but he’s decided to share more offensive responsibilities with his teammates.

According to Inside the Celtics, Tatum is willing to sacrifice his individual scoring for his squad’s success. “We’ve got a really, really good team, and I understand that we’ve got five guys that can average double-figures. So, each night it’ll look a little bit different and that’s alright,” he said this weekend.

The four-time All-Star is leading the NBA this season with the highest plus-minus rating, but he insists that he’s not too concerned about these records. “I just try to make good things happen when I’m on the floor and try to impact winning,” he said.

Tatum’s comments are based on the fact that teammates Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday are also averaging double-digits in points, and he can share the responsibility with them. “Some nights, other guys might really have it going and we’ve just got to find the balance… it might not be your night offensively tonight, but what else can you do to impact the game?” he asked.