Jayson Tatum’s dunk on LeBron James featured the oddest coincidence

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jayson Tatum’s dunk on LeBron James featured the oddest coincidence

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Rex Villas | Last updated Nov 12, 2026 9:56 AM ET

Tuesday’s clash between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa., had it all, from Jaylen Brown and his bête noire, Jayson Tatum, to Paul George turning back the clock with a vintage performance and Tatum posterizing LeBron James.

In the third quarter, Tatum split the soft double-team of Dean Wade and Joel Embiid before rising for a dunk. James was there as the 76ers’ last line of defense, but he stepped in too late, as Tatum put the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player on a poster.

The play was reminiscent of Tatum’s dunk on James in the 2018 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, eight years ago.

Here is a clip of Tatum’s latest dunk on James.

JAYSON TATUM POSTER ON LEBRON JAMES OH MY GOODNESS. https://t.co/PKKfZECVOo
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 11, 2026

But there is more to that dunk.

Apparently, both of Tatum’s throwdowns at James’ expense happened when the score was exactly 71-67.

The score was the EXACT SAME both times Jayson Tatum dunked on LeBron https://t.co/m1i7nPVmVi
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) November 11, 2026

James is much older now than he was when Tatum dunked on him as a rookie, but that doesn’t greatly diminish the shock of seeing someone body “The King” in midair.

To top it all off, Tatum and the Celtics came away with a 123-101 victory. Tatum scored 21 points on 8/17 shooting, while George stole everyone’s thunder with a game-high 36 points on 14/22 shooting.

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