Jayson Tatum enhances Celtics legacy, matches franchise legends

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jayson Tatum enhances Celtics legacy, matches franchise legends

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Nov 2, 2026 11:58 AM ET

Already established as one of the franchise's all-time greats, Jayson Tatum further enhanced his legacy and joined Boston Celtics royalty on Sunday night.

Tatum scored 32 points with seven assists, four rebounds and two blocks in 34 minutes of the Celtics' 108-97 road win over the Orlando Magic.

Jayson Tatum joined Celtics legends with his latest elite performance

He became only the third Celtics player (Larry Bird, 1987-88 and John Havlicek, 1970-71) to ever average 28-plus points and at least seven assists through his first six games of a season.

He's currently averaging 28.3 points, 7.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds while leading the Celtics to a 5-1 team record.

Tatum has even been efficient while carrying the Celtics offense, shooting 43.2 percent from the field. He was 8-of-19 from the field and 1-of-5 from three against the Magic.

Jayson Tatum joined Celtics royalty last night!

☘️ 32 PTS
☘️ 7 AST
☘️ 2 BLK@jaytatum0 became the 3rd player in franchise history (Larry Bird, 1987-88 and John Havlicek, 1970-71) to average 28+ PTS & 7+ AST through the first six games of a season! pic.twitter.com/EUZHoRSKNu
— NBA (@NBA) November 2, 2026

But most importantly, Tatum has stayed healthy. He's already 10 games away from matching his total from all of last season. But Tatum did show flashes of his past self when on the court at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. He actually averaged a double-double with 21.8 points, 10.0 boards and 5.3 assists in 16 games.

Jayson Tatum is far from finished building his legacy

A six-time All-Star, Tatum, still 28, owns career averages of 23.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 607 games across 10 seasons. Tatum has been named a first-team All-NBA member four times, the 2023 All-Star Game MVP, the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals MVP and an NBA champion in 2024.

So while it might be tough for longtime Celtics fans to ever regard Tatum on par with Bird or other past Celtics legends, he's already put together a Hall of Fame-caliber career and should have many more years left to keep building on his legacy.

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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