Jayson Tatum will play in his 100th postseason game when the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers square off in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs on Tuesday night. The 26-year-old became the only player to record more than 2,300 points, 750 rebounds, and 450 assists in their first 100 postseason games, joining elite company that included LeBron James and the legendary Larry Bird of the Chicago Bulls.

Former Celtic Paul Pierce gave Tatum his roses during a conversation about the esteemed award on NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics Pregame Live. He said that he had witnessed the five-time All-Star improve significantly in both his physical abilities and mentality on the court.

Regarding Tatum’s 2024 campaign, Pierce remarked, “I’ve seen true growth in Tatum.” “He changed last year from being a guy who averaged 30 points per game in 2022–2023 to a guy who knows he doesn’t need 30 to win.”

Tatum finished the regular season of the previous year averaging a career-high 30.1 points per game. This season, that number fell to 26.1 as Tatum adopted head coach Joe Mazzulla’s philosophy of putting the success of the team ahead of individual recognition. Tatum’s field goal percentage improved as well, going from 46.6 to 47.1 percent from the field and from 35 to 37.6 percent from deep.

Pierce continued, “I see his maturity — he’s more vocal, more of a leader, I feel like.” “It seems like his time is now, and he is aware of the procedure, the occasion, and what he must offer at that time.”

In contrast to past seasons where Tatum would want to prove he is the best player on the court, Pierce said that Tatum now possesses the mental maturity to know when to continue playing Mazzulla’s team-first basketball or when it’s time to play superstar and take over the game.

Pierce clarified, “He knows when he really needs to step up for the team to win, and he can do that for them.”

Boston’s offense has become almost unstoppable as a result of colleagues Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard making major statistical improvements and putting aside personal glory with Tatum and fellow star Jaylen Brown.

In the Boston 2024 playoffs’ first five games, Tatum has averaged 21.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.