It’s not a big surprise to former Boston Celtics reserve guard Shane Larkin that All-Star forward Jayson Tatum has already risen to become one of the best players in the NBA in his third season in the league.
He predicted that years ago during the Duke product’s rookie season, before Larkin departed to play overseas for Turkish team Anadolu Efes in the EuroLeague, where he himself has found considerable success, setting a record for the most points in a EuroLeague game (49) in 2019.
Speaking on a recent episode of the “Celtics Talk” podcast, the Cincinnati native related how the young forward approached his rookie season.
“I talk to [Tatum] all the time, and it’s funny, I just saw him do that podcast, ‘All the Smoke’, and he was talking about that stuff with Phoenix, when he went out there, and he was like, ‘Phoenix is where I want to be,’ said Larkin.
“I remember having conversations with him his rookie year and I was like, ‘Bro, just be patient.’ He was so talented, he wanted to get out there and immediately be who he wanted to be, and I’m like, ‘You’re 19 years old, bro, just be patient, relax, you’re time is going to come and you’re going to be one of the top guys in this league.'”
It might seem like a foregone conclusion with the benefit of hindsight, not everyone was a believer in the Missouri native’s future.
But then, Larkin had the benefit of a front row seat for Tatum’s rookie season, which left quite an impression with the now-Euroleague star.
“I’ve been saying that for years, and now you see what he’s been doing. Sometimes it takes guys a year or two years to finally get that opportunity to be who they’re going to be,” explained Larkin.
“This year was his time, and he took it and ran with it. Now, he’s well on his way to being one of the best players in this league, for sure,” he added.
