Jayson Tatum Admits He Once Believed Kyrie Irving Might’ve Been The Best Player He’d Ever Seen

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) shoots the ball against Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during game two of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Kyrie Irving’s two-year stint with the Celtics is largely remembered as a massive letdown and the relationship between the guard and the franchise and its fans remains sour. However, he was briefly so spectacular in Boston that Jayson Tatum believed he was the best player in the league’s history.

During an appearance on Jeff Teague’s Club 520 podcast, Tatum recalled being blown away by Irving’s skillset and impact in his initial days as a Celtic. The forward, who was a rookie during the eight-time All-Star’s debut season in Boston, reminisced about the former Cavaliers superstar putting the team on his back after Gordon Hayward suffered a brutal leg fracture in the season opener. Tatum told Teague,

“We lost our first two games. Gordon got hurt, opening night, that was like tragic. We lost to Cleveland, played back-to-back, lost to Milwaukee. I was like this was gonna be a tough year. We won 16 games straight and that’s when I was like Kyrie might be the best player I have ever seen.”

Irving averaged 24.1 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in November 2017, easing concerns about the Celtics’ season sinking after Hayward’s injury. He led them to a 46-21 record before suffering a season-ending left knee injury in March 2018.

Despite the guard’s absence, Boston finished as the second seed and made a miracle run to the Conference Finals, where they lost 4-3 to LeBron James and the Cavaliers. The following season was a disappointment, as they finished fourth in the standings and were eliminated by the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.

Irving signed with the Nets as a free agent, much to the dismay of Celtics fans. While the guard and the Boston faithful remain at loggerheads, Tatum harbors no ill feelings towards his former teammate.

There is mutual respect between Jayson Tatum and Kyrie Irving

Despite Celtics fans’ disdain for Irving after his disappointing spell in Boston, the forward cherishes the short time he spent with the veteran. Before facing his former teammate and his new team, the Mavericks, in the 2024 NBA Finals, the Celtics forward told reporters,

“It feels like it was a long time ago but I have a lot of great memories of having Ky as a teammate“

Irving also spoke highly of Tatum and Jaylen Brown and said he was proud to have played a small role in their development into superstars. He said,

“They’ve improved tremendously. I mean they’ve made a few All-Star games since I left, ECF, MVPs. So I’m nothing short of proud of those guys for what they’ve been able to do. Left a lot of wisdom with them, try to give as much advice while I was there.”

While there’s no love lost between the guard and the Celtics fans, there’s plenty of admiration between him and Tatum.