If you’re playing with the best players in the world, you might as well study a little while you’re at it.
And that’s exactly what Boston Celtics third-year swingman Jayson Tatum did after getting his first All-Star bid, watching his teammates and asking questions about how to improve his game.
It’s exactly what you’d want to see a young player with big aspirations doing in such a situation, which bodes well for the team’s future under the tenure of the nascent superstar.
One such player Tatum sought out was Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul, who helped hem up the Duke product on defense when their two teams met the week before the All-Star game, reports NBC Sports Boston’s A. Sherrod Blakeley.
“It’s real cool, especially coming from Chris,” said Tatum. “He’s been a really good player for a really long time; I’m trying to be like that, too.”
Conversely, some credit should be sent Paul’s way, as he had no obligation to help the young forward crib from his bag of tricks. The Thunder veteran didn’t divulge everything he could, of course — but enough to help pass the torch to a player who should be making waves in the NBA for years to come.
“He didn’t show me everything,” offered Tatum. “But he showed me a couple things.”
“I’m gonna try and use that next time we play” he added.
Depending on how that meeting goes (it will take place at TD Garden on March 6), we might see some stars start to get a little more circumspect about sharing their craft with the young killer.
Who, after all, wants to help themselves get beaten?
