Jayson Tatum named to All-NBA First Team for first time in career
BOSTON -- Jayson Tatum has taken another step toward NBA superstardom. The Celtics forward was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his career on Tuesday night.
Tatum's play in 2021-22 certainly warranted the honor, as he averaged career-highs with 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game during the regular season. Those numbers could have been even better had it not been for a slow shooting start for Tatum, but he really turned it on in the second half of the season when Boston enjoyed most of its success.
Over his last 41 regular season games, Tatum averaged 28 points off 49 percent shooting. Boston won 33 of those games, using its second-half surge to finish as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
In the playoffs, Tatum has averaged 27.2 points off 44 percent shooting to go with 5.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest. He's had some of his best games following a Boston loss, averaging 32.6 points after a Celtics defeat. Boston is 5-0 after a loss this postseason.
Tatum, 24, finished sixth overall in NBA MVP voting this season. He was named the East's Player of the Week three times in March.
This is the third time that Tatum has earned All-NBA honors in his career. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2017-18, and earned a spot on the All-NBA Third Team in 2019-20.
