May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles up court in front of New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Hall of Famer Says Celtics' Jayson Tatum Most Resembles Him in Current NBA

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI | By Ryan Stano | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 4:30 PM ET

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has established himself as one of the best players in the league. He has emerged as one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

He has learned to put different things from older players in the NBA into his own game. Tatum is a student of the game and has done a very good job of melding the right parts of Kobe Bryant's, Michael Jordan's, and every other great player's games together.

One former player believes that Tatum is the one in the NBA today who most closely resembles him, which is high praise because he's a Hall of Fame player.

More news: NBA Hall of Famer Believes Celtics Star Could Be Next American-Born MVP

Tracy McGrady Believes that Celtics Forward Jayson Tatum Most Closely Resembles His Game

While speaking on the Gilbert Arenas Show, McGrady said that Tatum most closely resembles what he was able to do. This was in response to a question asking who in today's game most resembles the prime version of himself.

T-Mac says he doesn’t think there’s anyone in today’s NBA who’s close to the prime version of himself.

“If Tatum took midranges, I would say Tatum.”

( @GilsArenaShow )
pic.twitter.com/TMLRvY3irt
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 10, 2025

"In today's game? I don't see nobody...It's going to be hard to do that in today's game because I took midranges. If Tatum was a guy that took those, I would say Tatum. Not the fluidity or how I moved. I was fast, bro. If he played that in-between game, then yeah."

McGrady was one of the most underrated stars when he was in the league. Tatum has already won a championship, which is something that McGrady was never able to achieve.

More news: Celtics Forward Reveals 'Energy's Already Different' for New-Look Roster

The Celtics Don't Want Jayson Tatum Shooting Many Midrange Jumpers

One of the things that makes Boston unique in the NBA is the number of 3's that they shoot per game. They want to increase the quantity of those shots as much as possible.

Tatum likely won't shoot many midrange jumpers for the majority of his career because of that. He certainly has the skillset to score from anywhere on the court, though.

Fans will likely have to wait until 2026-27 to see Tatum on the court again because of the torn Achilles tendon he is recovering from.

Last season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and six assists per game. He shot 45.2 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.