Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Generational scorer Jayson Tatum surpasses Larry Bird for playoff mark

By Sai Mohan | Last updated 5/24/24

The Larry O'Brien Trophy has eluded him so far, but all Jayson Tatum has known since entering the NBA is winning.

In his first year, Tatum was one loss away from making the NBA Finals. During that debut playoff run, Tatum, as a 20-year-old, notched as many as 10 20-point games and led Boston in scoring after being entrusted with the keys to the franchise.

It was apparent that a generational scorer had arrived.

Tatum would remain the most consistent postseason scorer over his next six seasons, guiding the Celtics to four more Conference Finals appearances (including this year) and one NBA Finals appearance.

All those deep postseason runs are starting to pay dividends. By scoring 23 points in Boston's 126-108 win over Indiana on Thursday, Tatum surpassed fellow Celtics great Larry Bird for the most playoff points through a player's first seven seasons in the NBA.

Most playoff points through 7 seasons in the *history of the NBA* (not just Celtics)

1. Jayson Tatum (2538)
2. Larry Bird (2520)
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3. Michael Jordan (2425)

Jayson Tatum is an ALL TIME GREAT! pic.twitter.com/ED0HSbTx1J
— Sports Talk Drew (@SportsTalkDrew) May 24, 2024

Some would try to diminish Tatum's achievement with the argument that he inherited a playoff-ready team unlike Michael Jordan, whose Bulls suffered a hat trick of first-round sweeps in his first three years. Similarly, "Larry Legend" walked into a championship-level team and won a title in his second year.

For context, Tatum played in 45 playoff games in his first three years. Jordan played in 10, while Bird played in 38.

Here's a breakdown of the three players through their first seven playoff runs:

Tatum: 106 games, 4,114 minutes, 2,538 points, 23.9 PPG

Bird: 105 games, 4,398 minutes, 2,520 points, 24.0 PPG

Jordan: 70 games, 2,942 minutes, 2,425 points, 34.6 PPG

Tatum obviously had more opportunities to score in bunches. However, the 26-year-old has been a model of consistency and deserves credit for bringing the C's back to relevancy after their lean patch in the early 2010s.

All the accolades notwithstanding, Tatum would be the first to tell you that the NBA title is the only goal. He is six wins away from breaking through.

Jordan also won his first title in his seventh year.

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