Jayson Tatum finished a 2021/22 NBA season where he finally could get past the Eastern Conference Finals and led his Boston Celtics to their first NBA Finals since 2010. Even though the Finals were not his best series, Tatum demonstrated that he’s already here to compete against the best players.
It’s been a while since he made his debut in the league, and Tatum has faced big rivals during his career, but not everybody has made a big impression on him. The Celtics’ young star has starred in many battles against very talented players, including Jimmy Butler and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but these two aren’t the ones he enjoys playing against the most.
During a recent Q&A session on Twitter, Tatum was asked about his favorite players to face on the court and he responded with four of the best forwards we’ve seen in the last 20 years or so.
Kd, bron, Melo, kawhi….. basically best players at my position
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) July 14, 2022
“Kd, bron, Melo, kawhi….. basically best players at my position,” Tatum replied.
It’s still curious that he didn’t mention Giannis, who is considered one of the top players in the league and the best power forward right now. Tatum and Antetokounmpo have clashed against one another in the playoffs before, but for JT, these four are on another level.
Kevin Durant is still a top 5 player in the league, just like LeBron James. They’ve been fighting for the title of the best player in the world for a while now, and next season will try to beat their competition on the way to another title. As for Carmelo Anthony, his best years are past him, but the veteran has reinvented his game, accepted to be a role player instead of a star, and keeps making noise in the association. Kawhi Leonard will have a big challenge next season, as he’s coming back from an injury and will try to help the Los Angeles Clippers win their first-ever NBA title.
These four players have a chip on their shoulders entering next season, but so does Tatum and he’ll be ready to defeat them if they cross paths during the postseason.
