Jayson Tatum made his mark in the latest chapter of the storied rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
On a court full of superstars, Tatum didn’t let the moment get to him while facing LeBron James. And after the game, the Celtics forward kept it real.
Jayson Tatum Shares His Mindset on Playing and Beating LeBron James
At TD Garden, Tatum took full advantage of home court, dropping 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in 45 minutes to lead the Celtics to a 111-101 win over the Lakers.
Despite his dominant performance, the 27-year-old remained humble in the postgame press conference, expressing his respect for James.
“Won a gold medal this summer with each other,” Tatum said. “Just respect the guys that came before you and paved the way.”
Jayson Tatum on competing against LeBron James:
"Just respect the guys that came before you and paved the way. You know, can't say enough good things about what he's done and accomplished and what he means to the game of basketball. So as a fan, as a competitor, those moments… pic.twitter.com/9Fm72KbuaG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 9, 2025
“You know, can’t say enough good things about what he’s [James] done and accomplished and what he means to the game of basketball. As a fan, as a competitor, those moments that you get to play against him, you should cherish, and you should go out there and compete.
“You should go out there and compete. Somebody I got a lotta respect for. I said it before, how you earn respect is (by) going at those guys, you know, he wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Tatum’s game-winning performance in this heated rivalry game earned respect across the basketball world — including, presumably, from James, who left the game with 6:44 remaining due to a groin injury.
James Looking Ahead to Another Matchup With Tatum
The Lakers had looked like championship contenders, especially after putting together an eight-game winning streak. But that streak ended Saturday against the Celtics. Still, James is confident they’ll meet Tatum and Co. again — and next time, things will be different.
“We can compete versus anyone in this league,” he said after the game. “So we’ll be fine. We got to continue to build our habits. We’re not where [the Celtics] are, the defending champion. And they’ve been playing basketball together for a long time.”
“And they got a great chemistry and know what they want to do. We made an acquisition late in the season, and we’re still trying to build. And we want to get full. That’s the No. 1 objective for us: How we can get full and get all our guys together and see exactly what we look like.”
The Lakers hit the road March 10 to face the Brooklyn Nets.