The ranking of Tatum’s stats on his 26th birthday among the NBA’s legendary performances.
Setting aside all the “he’s only 19” jests, Jayson Tatum, the standout forward for the Boston Celtics, is marking his 26th birthday this Sunday. Now in his seventh NBA season, Tatum’s remarkable statistics already position him closely among some of the basketball legends.
Let’s examine how Tatum’s career stats stack up historically among players before their 26th birthdays:
Points (Regular Season)
– LeBron James — 16,081 (582 games, 27.63 per game)
– Kevin Durant — 14,851 (542 games, 27.40 per game)
– Carmelo Anthony — 12,711 (514 games, 24.73 per game)
– Tracy McGrady — 12,423 (565 games, 21.99 per game)
– Kobe Bryant — 12,215 (561 games, 21.77 per game)
– Jayson Tatum — 11,381 (495 games, 22.99 per game)
– Devin Booker — 11,363 (482 games, 23.57 per game)
Tatum stands as the sixth-highest scorer before turning 26. Notably, akin to Booker, Tatum’s notable standing on this list is despite playing substantially fewer games compared to his counterparts.
Wins (Regular Season)
– Tony Parker — 391 (540 games, 72.40 percent)
– Kobe Bryant — 391 (561 games, 69.69 percent)
– LeBron James — 364 (582 games, 62.54 percent)
– Dwight Howard — 331 (567 games, 58.37 percent)
– Jayson Tatum — 327 (495 games, 66.06 percent)
Since Tatum’s selection in the 2017 draft, the Celtics have consistently been a playoff contender, thus it’s unsurprising to see him among the top in wins. Boston holds a 327-168 regular season record with Tatum on the court, translating to a 66.06 percent win rate. Tatum ranks fourth overall in wins, considering win percentage.
3-Pointers (Regular Season)
– Jayson Tatum — 1,239 (495 games, 2.5 per game)
– Luka Doncic — 1,118 (382 games and counting, 2.9 per game)
– Bradley Beal — 1,071 (488 games, 2.2 per game)
– Trae Young — 1,053 (404 games and counting, 2.6 per game)
– D’Angelo Russell — 1,002 (404 games, 2.5 per game)
Despite not being primarily known as a long-range shooter, Tatum leads in 3-pointers made among players before their 26th birthdays. While Doncic could potentially surpass him with time, as he recently turned 25, the current list comprises exclusively active players, underscoring the evolving reliance on the 3-point shot in today’s game.
