Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum sat out Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Atlanta Hawks, and he secured an impressive franchise record by doing so.
Since he did not playing on Sunday, Tatum finished the season having averaged 30.1 points per game. He is the first player in Celtics history to average more than 30 points per game over an entire season.
Tatum might have maintained his 30-point average even if he played on Sunday, but the Celtics chose to rest him and their other starters since they are locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
One of the reasons Tatum’s feat is so impressive is that the Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in sports. Some of the best players in league history have played for Boston. The list includes Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Kevin McHale, Paul Piece, Sam Jones, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Robert Parish, and more. Bird came up just short when he averaged 29.9 points per game for the 1987-88 season.
Anytime you can accomplish something that the aforementioned group did not, it is certainly noteworthy.
Tatum helped lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals last season, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors. They are hoping for an even better result this year.
